Dreki
by helioswindmax
Summary: Hiccup slowly finds himself founding a new nation, at peace with dragons, rising up against the entire Barbaric Archipelago...
1. Chapter 1

Stoick pushed open the wooden door to his house with a tired, meaty hand. It had been an exhausting day for the chief, but he was happy nevertheless. He was proud of Berk, he was proud of his people, and he was proud of his son, because he recently achieved the rank of best teenage dragon fighter on Berk. And was chosen to kill a nightmare as a final examination, as per custom. The sun was already below the horizon and the dark was taking over this side of the world. The burly man walked into his house only to find the hearth to be out, no fire, no light, no heat. It was strange, for usually Hiccup would be home before he got back, and the hearth would be alive with a hot, roaring fire. He walked over to small wood stockpile that rested in a corner, but he stopped himself when he noticed a small envelope on the big wooden dinning table. He walked over to it, frowning, and picked it up.

 _To Chief Stoick the Vast of Berk._

He ripped open the envelope and read the paper letter it contained.

 _Dear father._

 _I'm afraid I have decided to take a prolonged leave of absence. I'm absolutely sure the delay of my leave is_ _indefinite, it would be best if I never return. My motives for leaving are obvious. I understand the material burden I represent for Berk, and that my attempts to help my tribe, are in fact, counter-productive. In addition, my social...Position...Is unfortunately a black stain on the Haddock name. In consequence, I shall not use any last name on my travels so as not to tarnish your illustrious family name. My second reason, is that I obviously do not fit it in...Indeed, my social environment was growing increasingly hostile, to a point at which I cannot bear._

 _I imagine you will be quite relieved at my departure. Y_ _ou will be able to choose a suitable heir, and you will no_ _t have to deal with my 'counter-productivity'. I know that running away is not the Viking way, far from it. But I have recently come to the realization that my place is not here ( In truth I don't believe it to be anywhere ) and that I am not a Viking, not in physicality nor in mentality. I have also predicted a beneficial outcome both for Berk and me, as well as a third party I shall not name here from my decision to disappear._

 _I will not expect you to remember me, for I know I will try to push my darker past spent on Berk to the back of my mind and forget._

 _Please note that I have not taken any boats from your docks to leave, merely a couple of medical supplies, food and forge tools. Enough for two bags, no more. I would be grateful if you would keep my disappearance as far away from the outside world as possible, I do not want to be caught up by gossip and linked to Berk, or any tribe as a matter of fact. It would be advantageous for all to create a pretext for my disappearance, if anyone from outside the tribe asks ( Death through disease, for instance, is a very plausible one ). Rest assured I will not speak poorly of the Hooligans, despite the context._

 _That is all I have to say. Farewell. May your tribe forever prosper._

 _Hiccup._


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm sorry if this chapter's pacing might seem a bit odd or rushed, but I don't want to spend five chapters just to get Hicc. and Too. set up on the island. So instead I decided to give it a sort montage feel to it, like in a movie : Only showing important bits briefly and concluding it all with a calmer, talkative scene.**

 **I nevertheless hope you like it ! Now that the pair have settled down the history of this island can officially begin.**

 **Rant Over !**

* * *

The island was big, bigger than Berk at least...Hiccup and Toothless had been flying for over two days now until they found this island. It was not quite round, oddly shaped but lusciously dark green, covered in a thick pine forest at the exception of the mountain in the centre and the long beach that went a quarter of the length of the rim. It was totally uninhabited. Other than that solitary beach, the coast was either cliffs or a very rocky wall defended with an outer layer of rocks and sea-stacks.

The pair landed in the pine forest, by a small river about two metres wide that flowed through a large clearing. Pine needles littered the soft, moist floor. The fresh northern air blew through the trees with a sigh. Hiccup dismounted Toothless and walked around for a bit, inspecting the clearing.

" Whatdy'a think bud ? "

The dragon looked around while shaking his head up and down as if saying : " **I like it.** "

" It's a big island, we can live off hunting and gathering ! "

The dragon suddenly turned around before trotting in direction of the forest.

" Whoa whoa whoa whoa ! Wait a minute ! Where do you think you're going ? "

Toothless turned his head to face the boy who stood behind him. He rolled his eyes and spat out a small purple flame that dissolved into the air as soon as it left his mouth. He then resumed to nonchalantly walk into the forest.

" Right a fire...I don't know what I'd do without you..." Sighed Hiccup. The boy walked off in the opposite direction to gather wood. " Probably freeze to death..."

* * *

_A few minutes later_

Dark was upon them soon enough. And they sat before a roaring camp-fire, Hiccup leaning against his scaly friend, who lay with his tail curling around to protect the human. As if something would take him. Both stared into the warm, red fire. Mesmerized by the flickering flames, the wavy shadows it drew as well as the comforting crackling sounds it made. All was peaceful and well. Hiccup was dozing off slowly, thinking of all they could do. He was liberated, happy, like a heavy lead weight was finally lifted from his shoulders. He truly felt like it was the start of a new chapter in his life. One he could afford to be optimistic about.

* * *

_A week later_

It took them a week to build a hut ( Building goes quite a lot faster with a dragon !). It was a log house, made of the trunk of trees that were blasted to the ground by Toothless. Hence, the clearing was expanded quite a bit. It was a long rectangular building, separated in two inside by a wooden wall. The front door led into one half, a rectangular room with a dirt ground and a large stone hearth in the centre. Workbenches were constructed along the walls and empty hooks and shelves hung over said workbenches. It was, as you might have guessed, the forge and tannery. From that room, was a door to the right, that led to an equally sized ( And infinitely cosier ) living area with a dark wooden plank floor. Complete with a basic wooden table, a stool and a hay mattress flung on the ground in a corner besides a rather large and flat stone slab that was repeatedly scorched every time Toothless chose to sleep on it.

It was indeed, a painstaking and brutal week to build the shelter. But both Toothless and Hiccup would tell you that it was worth it, had you asked.

The pair had eventually discovered that a nearby island that went by the name of 'Dànor', about twenty minutes flight away. Was host to a rather big village, or rather town. Every week, said town organized a great market in which many traders came to sell their wares and many clients came to buy those wares. Thankfully for Hiccup, a large amount of people meant less attention whilst he traded.

So, for the past three weeks, Hiccup had left his island to go to Dànor in order to trade while Toothless hid in the nearby woods. He bought raw materials to bring back home, and produced weapons and tools as well as leather apparel that he sold the next week along with the furs from Toothless' hunting. His income was spent on many things he couldn't procure himself, like bandages and clothing amongst other things. But he never spent any of his coin on foodstuffs.

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless were sitting on the ground in their home, Hiccup sat cross-legged and enjoyed munching an apple while his scaly counterpart tore through a pile of fish.

" You know what ? "

Toothless extracted his head from the pile of fish and stared at Hiccup with ears perked up, meaning. " **What ?** "

" We should name this island " Said Hiccup with a mouth full of apple.

The dragon cocked his head to one side questioningly.

" It's our island ! We should name it...How about 'Herntà' ? "

The dragon's eyes widened and he shook his head. " **No ! Absolutely not !** "

" Ok not 'Hernta' then...How about ' Algoït ' ? " Suggested the eager boy while holding up a finger.

" **No ! Please no !** "

" ' Gunstàban ' ? "

" **Stop ! I beg you !** " Moaned the dragon.

" ' Urtunànfèr ' ? "

Toothless wailed again in mock despair, this time repeatedly hitting his head against the plank floor. " **That's a horrible name !** "

" 'Istôburr' ? "

" **How do you come up with so many atrocities ?!** " Mocked the night fury with a grunt.

Hiccup sighed exasperatedly. " You're so hard to please you know that ? I don't know why I put up with you..."

Both snorted and looked away from each other, returning to their respective meals. Then Hiccup's face lit up.

" 'Dreki' ? "

The dragon paused his eating and turned back to boy again.

" **You know what ? That's not too bad...** " He crooned.

The boy put on a smile of triumph. " Dreki it is then..." He took a content bite out of his apple and stared into nothingness...A wild fire of joy and inspiration burned in his eyes.

" D'you know what 'dreki' means in Norse ? "

" **No...What does it mean ?** "

" Dragon."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello ! I'm sorry if you think this chapter is a little slow and uneventful. But it fills the purpose of defining the new Hiccup as well as pointing out his bliss and euphoria as a consequence of his new life on Dreki. This chapter is necessary to make the next chapter's contrast more powerful and sudden.**

 **Hiccup's armour is the one from HTTYD 2, but without the wing-suit ( What lets him glide ). The weapon, now that's another matter. Some might recognise it from my other story. The reason brought it back is because many of you said you like it, but also that you were disappointed by the lack of use it had seen. So I brought it back ! ( Please don't hate me for using the same description as in WHCBFBR... )**

 **Enjoy !**

 **Rant Over**

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless were enjoying a well deserved dose of happiness. Hiccup stood on Dreki's only beach, merely hundred metres away into the forest was their log cottage. The afternoon sun stood high in the sky and shone down on the boy and the dragon, as well as the pile of fur boots and dragon flying equipment that have been carelessly discarded on the white sand. Hiccup looked out at sea to the great blue expanse, he breathed the fresh, salty, sea air as the small waves rose up and down the beach, licking his ankles. His feet sunk into the wet ground and the boy could feel the sand embezzle them. Toothless pounced around the boy with his tongue out, splashing water in all directions excitedly.

He was truly happy here. He had discovered three months ago, along with the island, what it meant to be truly at peace. A feeling he had never experienced before. Hiccup was drawn from his dreamy staring-out-at-the-sea by a rather surprising whack on the back of the head by a one-finned dragon tail.

" Ow ! What was that for ? " Complained the boy rubbing the back of his head, as Toothless exploded into an uncontrollable and throaty mirth.

The dragon settled and sat down in the water, smiling back at the boy smugly. " **You were dreaming...** "

The boy moved forwards towards the dragon with mischief glowing in his eyes. " I think that calls for revenge."

Toothless's eyes narrowed and his smile dropped when he realized the boy's intention, but it was too late. The vengeful Hiccup had already splashed water into the fury's face with his hands, and was giggling cheekily. The dragon growled and got up playfully.

" Wha- Nonononono ! " Exclaimed the boy, backing up while holding out open hands in defence.

" **You are going to get splashed so bad...** " Threatened the dragon with a bark. Hiccup broke into a run, splashing water as he sprinted along the beach. Toothless, obviously, shot after him. Hiccup ran clumsily, laughing as he stumbled and tripped over his own feet. The dragon caught up with him and pounced on him like a cheetah pouncing on it's prey. Both flew into the water, Hiccup was under water as well as under the dragon. He was playfully trying to get out from between the fury's paw and the sand floor but failed miserably. He tried punching said, but to no avail. Eventually Toothless let him rise to the surface again and the boy shot out of the water, gasping from air as his long auburn hair stuck to his face, effectively blinding him.

The cheeky dragon smiled at the gasping boy, who was now parting the blinding hair from his face.

Hiccup starting talking between gasps, but he was promptly interrupted by a rather playful dragon who pounced on him before he had the chance to finish his sentence." Toothless that's not-...AAH ! Blublubulb..."

This time Toothless stuck his head underwater and stared with wide green eyes at the boy who furiously tugged his front paw that pushed down on his chest. Hiccup's head was a flurry of floating auburn strands that totally blinded the poor boy.

Again, the dragon allowed the boy to stand. Hiccup repeated the process of gasping for air and parting long hair before an accusing finger at Toothless.

" _You_ sir _,_ are playing a very dangerous game." Warned the boy, waving a finger before the care-free dragon.

Toothless simply smiled smugly. " **Indeed.** "

" There will be consequences !." Said Hiccup over-dramatically, still brandishing his finger around.

The dragon snorted and rolled his eyes. " **I'll take my chances...** "

" Yeah roll those eyes...Maybe you might find a brain back there." Scoffed the boy, wringing the bottom of his tunic to get all the water out.

Toothless's eye's widened in shock." **Oh no you didn't !** "

With that, the dragon butted the boy in the chest with his head and the auburn teen stumbled back and fell bottom first into the water. Toothless laughed heartily at the sight. The scrawny boy, sitting neck-high in water, spitting out salty water followed shortly by angry muttered rambling as well as a frown, topped off by the hanging red hair that stuck to his face again.

Toothless merely laughed a guttural laugh.

* * *

Hiccup had an idea. In fact, he got it two hours ago. And anybody who knew Hiccup well enough ( Which is limited to Gobber and Toothless ) could tell you that when the boy had an idea he'd work tirelessly until he produced a result.

In this instance, he was making a set of armour for himself as well as a weapon. His constant hammering prevented the poor night fury next doors from sleeping, it was after all impossibly early and we all know how much Toothless loves sleeping. Thus, the dragon walked out of the cottage's living area, into the forge area where Hiccup was hammering away at an anvil, the dragon slapped the boy in the back of the head with his tail and walked out the front door, sleepily mumbling curses and swearing revenge.

Hiccup sighed while rubbing the back of his head.

" I don't know why I put up with him..."

_Two hours earlier_

The auburn haired boy could not sleep that night, so he simply settled for lying silently in his bed ( being only a hay mattress ) and musing on the future and what was to come. His thoughts led him down a particular path, and at the end of the path was the realization that the boy couldn't fight, or hunt, and was incredibly vulnerable. All of us know that Hiccup is not one to fight, he usually picks the peaceful way to settle things. But he nevertheless understands the necessity to be able to defend himself.

But the boy is clever, he knew he couldn't fight in close quarters, his weak frame forbid him. So he got up, walked next doors to the other room of the cottage, the forge, and settled down at a workbench and scribbled down some ideas for a ranged weapon.

Lit only by a candle, he furiously brain-stormed until about two in the morning, at which point he got up and started up the hearth. Before long, he was hammering useless bits of metal into ingenious mechanisms. And when he finally finished, the first rays of sun were poking over the pink horizon.

He wore the armour, a beautiful set of black hardened leather pieces that covered the entirety of his body. The helmet, bore three spiked rows on the top and covered the face with a mask-like visor. The right shoulder-pad, was decorated with a red design of the strike class symbol ( Google it if you can't picture it ).

He jogged around the hearth, swinging his arms around, testing the flexibility. The whole suit was optimised for dragon-back flight as well as combat, although it was rather light armour. He stopped his circling and stood before one of the workbenches where lay his new weapon.

It was a light crossbow. The wooden stock was painted black. But the main particularity, was the fact that the crossbow had a small handle, no bigger than his little finger along the left side of the weapon. The main premise of the handle, was to pull the string back into firing position when you pulled the handle back itself, using an intricate system of pulleys and cog-wheels within the crossbow to de-multiply the force of the wielder when reloading the weapon, for Hiccup couldn't pull back the string with merely the force of one arm, he was too weak. Furthermore, the young genius had added another trigger to the crossbow alongside the first. This new trigger, serves to deploy the bow limbs that would stay retracted alongside the crossbow when not in use. He had also spent hours adjusting a simple pair of iron-sights that would flick up and deploy along with the bow limbs, granting an extreme precision and accuracy to the marksman.

Hiccup picked up the weapon and headed outside. He was equipped with a big leather quiver, strapped diagonally across his back, large enough to fit the crossbow in. Directly beneath said quiver, was another smaller one for the iron bolts he had made.

The wooden door clattered behind him as the boy walked out into the freezing morning air. He shivered under his armour, despite the fact the inside was lined with wool. He stood ten metres away from a tree, and deployed the crossbow with a snap. His hand pulled back the little lever with a series of tiny ' _clicks_ ' and he loaded the weapon with an iron bolt. He brought it up to his face ad peered through the ironsights, they made things so much easier, all he had to do was compensate for the wind and the minimal drop of the bolt.

The crossbow was light, so it wasn't hard to keep it steady. In fact, it was light enough for Hiccup to wield with one hand. The boy took in a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The bolt zipped through the air and hit the tree with a satisfying ' _Thunck !_ '. A smile spread on the boy's face, he couldn't wait to show Toothless.

* * *

_A month later_

Hiccup held his breath, he didn't move at all. That would compromise his cover. He peered through the leaves of the bush over to his prey. A deer, drinking from a little stream. The boy's crossbow was already deployed, he always kept it open when hunting, otherwise he'd scare away the game by snapping it open. The string was already drawn and the bolt loaded. Hiccup brought the weapon to his face, aimed, breathed out slowly and pulled the trigger. The weapon burst into life and the bolt flew to it's target, hitting it's mark. The projectile hit the deer in the neck and went straight through. Indeed, the young tinkerer had long since improved the string giving the weapon more power to it's shots.

Hiccup smiled. The deer collapsed and the teen ran over to it. It was killed instantly. Yet another kill today.

Hiccup had become a surprisingly proficient hunter, and an even better marksman. His only troubles was hauling the kill back to the house. he sighed and crouched to grab both the deer's hind legs, he grunted as he pulled as he started to drag the deer back to the house. This was going to take a while.


	4. Chapter 4

Winter.

It always comes eventually. It's the object of dread and nervous anticipation for most in the Barbaric Archipelago. But not, for a certain pair living on a (nearly) deserted island named Dreki, somewhere around the Meridian of Misunderstanding. Indeed, it seemed that for those two brothers, winter was a time of simplistic beauty.

Both Humans and Dragons are capable of appreciating a snowy white pine forest. Or the perfect flat sea of fallen snow, clean of any footprints, untouched by feet of any kind. Or even the hanging silence, thick in the cold winter air as it remains immobile amongst the white pines, making you feel guilty for even producing any sound as you breathe.

For many others, winter is the start of food rationing, and cold, and disease. Hiccup and Toothless on the other hand, were absolutely carefree. They could provide for ten of each other merely through Hiccup's hunting and Toothless' fishing. But due to the terrible weather conditions, trade ships all around the archipelago were ground-bound, thus Dànor's weekly trade festival was interrupted until the season passed. But that didn't bother them, they had stocked up on food and medical supplies in anticipation for the season.

None could appreciate a peaceful afternoon in front of a warm blazing fire better than Toothless and his human. As a consequence, whenever the howling winds outside threw a white blizzard-like tantrum, the pair merely sat in the forge. Hiccup curled up in the dragon's embrace, both dozing off in the reassuring heat of the hearth's fire.

* * *

It was now a peaceful morning. Hiccup awoke on his hay mattress, Toothless breathed heavily and regularly as he lay besides him. The boy got up, without waking the the dragon lying on the scorched stone slab, from his peaceful slumber.

It was in Hiccup's habit to head outside first thing in the morning, if only to witness the white untouched plains of freshly fallen snow. As he opened the wooden front door he was struck with the harsh cold morning air, but he was not disappointed. The white sea of perfectly smooth snow stood immobile before him, keeping the ground from his sight. The beautiful scene was accompanied by the thick silence of morning winter and the reassuring view of white, snow-covered pines surrounding the clearing.

But something stirred. It was in the trees. A fistful of powdery snow fell from a branch, disturbed by movement. Hiccup frowned and headed back inside, quickly strapping on his armour and sheathing the retracted crossbow in the quiver strapped to his back. It was probably nothing, but you never knew. Waking up Toothless was a terrible idea if it turned out to be nothing but the local wildlife.

The boy headed out again. This time stepping outside. His fur boots sunk in the snow with a satisfying crunch. Hiccup moved to towards the edge of the clearing, to the tree-line. The lower branches of the pines rustled again, and out crept a dragon.

Hiccup stopped dead in his tracks. It was a monstrous nightmare. The dragon growled menacingly. Hiccup reached for the crossbow on his back, but thought better of it. Instead, he put out his gloved open palm towards the dragon. The dragon crept forward, still growling, eyeing it's prey.

Something was wrong, Hiccup just felt it. He noticed the dragon's eyes, they were bloodshot and alight with a wild fire, an uncontrollable flame. Froth coated the sides of the dragon's mouth. The boy stood his ground, shaking to the very bone, his outstretched hand jittering uncontrollably.

He was terrified. He knew this dragon was sick. But he dared not move, ere the dragon unleash it's uncontrollable wrath.

The dragon neared closer, and closer, and closer. They were nearly touching, the nightmare eyed the boy's hand menacingly. Then, as sudden as lightning, he opened his mouth wide, and the array of fangs sunk into the boy's forearm.

Hiccup let out a yelp, not of pain but of surprise. Fortunately, thick leather bracers prevented any physical damage to the boy. Unfortunately, the monstrous nightmare proceeded to violently fling the boy by the arm against a nearby pine trunk. Hiccup wailed as he flew in an ark before hitting the trunk, knocking the air out of his lungs. He fell to the ground, face sinking in the snow. Darkness surrounded him as consciousness left him.

But he was not lost to the mad dragon, no. For at this point, the front door of the peaceful cottage exploded into splinters as a furious shadow as black as night shot out of the house. The night fury leapt across the small stream that crossed the clearing and landed squarely in front of the mad monstrous nightmare.

Toothless summoned all the air to his lungs, and exploded into a roar that shook the entire island. The nightmare stood it's ground, under normal circumstances, any dragon would have fled from the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. But this dragon was not well, far from it. It was sick. Saying that it was dying would be a lie : It was dead the moment it caught it's sickness.

The two dragon circled, arching their backs and snarling. Toothless lunged, but the nightmare parried with it's wing. It counter-attacked, spewing hot fiery liquid in the black dragon's direction. But Toothless dodged, and the orange liquid landed on a nearby pine, setting it alight.

They circled more. But then, the night fury lived up to his name, and he lunged so fast the nightmare never saw it coming. The black dragon bit through the neck of his opponent, who let out a cry of pain as it attempted to shake the fury off. But Toothless was not letting go, his teeth sank ever deeper into the neck, tearing tendons and ripping arteries. ( For those that get the reference : Strike the earth ! )

He was not letting his human die. Toothless knew his dear Hiccup had already suffered fifteen years of hell to afford this paradise. Fifteen years of suffering for six months of happiness. By Toothless' standards, it wasn't a fair deal. His human brother deserved more. And he'd make sure he'd get more.

At this moment, the boy in question was regaining consciousness. His fogged mind cleared itself as he witnessed the scene before him. The monstrous nightmare, desperately trying to shake off the night-fury who was biting through the neck of his opponent. Hot blood spewed in random directions from the bite as the battling pair twisted, turned, circled and wrestled furiously. But the night fury held on.

But fate also had a say in this matter. And today, it was in a bad mood. The blazing tree, had been blazing for long enough, and now started to tilt under it's weight and weakened flaming trunk. It cracked loudly and fell, towards the battling pair. Hiccup shot out his hand, trying to yell a warning to his dragon brother. But it was to late.

" TOOTHLESS ! "

The alight tree hit the black dragon square on the head, breaking in two in the process. Toothless let go of his grip and fell in an unconscious black mass, sinking in the snow. The nightmare limped around, it to, received the blow of the tree. It's right back leg was crushed and it's tail was contorted at an awkward angle. But it felt no pain, and it moved over to finish the black dragon.

The boy's heart lurched.

Time slowed for Hiccup. He stood up while drawing his crossbow from his back. The bow limbs snapped open as he aligned the ironsights with the target. The bolt was already loaded, it always was. The finger twitched against the trigger, waiting for the right moment. He expired, and squeezed said trigger. The bolt flew, merely a streak of steel grey shooting through the air with a whistle.

The projectile hit it's target, it went in through the back of the head and out the right eye. Shredding all in it's path through sheer kinetic force. The nightmare fell in a lifeless pile.

Hiccup dropped his crossbow and ran over to Toothless, who lay unconscious in the snow. The boy's breath caught in his throat when he saw the blood, streaming down from the top of Toothless' skull, across his cheeks before falling to the ground, steaming in the cold winter air and staining the snow dark red. The blood streamed like a river of wine, two cups could have been filled already.

He kneeled down by the black mass, laying a trembling hand on the dragon's throat. Toothless breathed slowly and heavily, with a rattly rasp, hoarse against the winter silence. Hiccup realised he needed to stop the bleeding, and get him inside somehow. He got up and frantically ran back to the house for bandages. He ran clumsily, stumbling and tripping over his feet as tears ran down his cheeks.

He killed the nightmare. Hiccup's stomach lurched to the thought as he ran. He murdered a dragon...The thought was incredibly troubling for the boy to say the least, but an immeasurably more powerful fear struck his mind like an axe.

Toothless could die.

The blazing tree had hit him square on the head. He was bleeding at an incredible rate. It all seemed horribly surreal. Like a nightmare. The boy's stomach twisted as if it was being wrung.

Toothless could die.

Hiccup felt fear, he felt terror, he felt panic. He couldn't loose him. He couldn't. It would be impossible. It was unthinkable. It would end him. He wouldn't want to live. He'd die of sorrow, if not by his own hand. Toothless had to live. The bond had to go on. Such a wonderful thing couldn't end so soon. It couldn't.

Hiccup ran into the house, through the forge and burst through the door to the living area. He kneeled before and opened a chest that lay in the corner and searched frantically for bandages through foggy eyes, drenched in tears. His hands coiled around a roll of bandages. He sprung from the floor and ran outside again. A single, determined, panicked yet assured thought sprung from the boy's mind as he sprinted across the clearing.

 _Toothless won't die._

* * *

 **Bit of a dramatic chapter, I'm sorry. But life can't be too easy for Hiccup can it ?**

 **Have a nice day/night**

 **Rant Over**


	5. Chapter 5

Hiccup stared bitterly across the room. Never had the cottage been so quiet, a deadly silence was hanging like a dark veil. The only sound was the regular breathing of the unconscious night fury, who lay curled up on his slab in the corner of the room with a bandaged head.

Three days.

Toothless had been unconscious for three days now, the wound was healing faster than Hiccup imagined, probably due to his faster metabolism. The fact that the night fury hadn't woken up once since the incident with the sick wild dragon was torture for the young teen. Hiccup felt like he was being eaten from the inside, his worry was gnawing at his mind like a disease.

He had too much time to think. To much time to weigh the possibilities and predict the consequences. To much time to imagine the worst.

He sat at the table in silence, his contorted face buried in his hands. To many unpleasant questions raced through his mind, and even more terrifying answers raced back. His head was filled with the sound of Toothless' breathing. He heard nothing but the steady inhaling, and deep exhaling.

He _needed_ the dragon to wake up. In a way, it was worse than if he had died. Had Toothless died, Hiccup would have followed. Either through grief, or his own dagger.

But now, Toothless was alive. But he wasn't really there. He was absent. A Toothless-shaped void had formed in Hiccup's heart and the fact that the dragon was alive offered the same suffering than if he had perished, but with a bit of hope mixed in. Not much hope, very little, like the weak flickering flame of a candle. But enough hope for it to be painful, to know that his scaly brother could wake up any moment, but not really believing it either. It was like the key to a door that led to the end of suffering and total happiness, held just beyond Hiccup's grasp like an sadistic joke.

But that was it wasn't it ? At this moment Hiccup felt exactly that : His whole life was a joke. One long, agonizing, pitiful joke. Over fifteen years of being a joke. He had been allowed to feel a temporary happiness on Dreki, only six months. Only for this moment to be even more destructive.

To Hiccup, his whole life was a comedy staged by the gods. The past six months was the build-up, and now was the punch-line. Hilarious to the world, funny to all but he and Toothless... Then again, at least Toothless didn't have to live through all this. He was there peacefully sleeping, oblivious to all the pain and suffering the world had to offer.

Hiccup felt rage build up. He had been sitting here for two hours now, as he had been every single bitter day since the dragon sustained the injury. The depressive wave had now dissipated to leave room for rage. The fact that the boy couldn't do a single thing about the situation caused a fiery wave of red, powerful, boiling rage to sweep up from his stomach.

He snapped.

He suddenly pulled his head out of his hands and repeatedly hit the table with a strength he never had in a clenched fist. The wooden table shook and cracked as Hiccup vented his rage onto it, furiously yelling " WHY !? " at every blow.

The table was beaten fifteen times before the boy stopped. Breathing heavily through clenched teeth he inspected the side of his right hand through tear-filled eyes, only to find shredded skin and exposed flesh, blood trickled down his wrist and along his forearm.

He swore and ignored the pain while slowly getting up to wash the wound in the basin of water that stood in the forge. His hand dipped into the barrel of freezing water, it stung like hell, but the boy didn't flinch. He was beyond care and wouldn't even bandage it.

* * *

_A day later_

The only thing Toothless felt was darkness. Total, absolute, nothingness. Bit by bit, his senses returned.

He heard his own breathing, he felt his own weight, he felt the echoing pain in his skull. His mind was a mess, trying to reorganise itself, regaining memories one by one. The dragon opened heavy eye-lids, with more effort needed than necessary.

He saw nothing but blurry colours, soft and indistinguishable, like a light show. He let out a weak wail, hoarse and barely audible.

He heard rustling, along with sudden movement and a distant voice.

" Toothless ! Oh gods you're awake ! "

Hiccup knelt down before him and held the fury's head between his hands. The dragon's vision returned slowly, revealing more and more details on the boy's face. Hiccup looked terrible, his eyes were red and bloodshot of crying, his lips were blue and his face was a deathly pale. The dragon's absence had taken a physical toll on the boy.

Toothless crooned in response. He felt strength slowly return. He slowly licked the boy across the face, and although Hiccup would have usually pulled back and protested he simply stood his ground, smiling fondly as the slimy tongue spread saliva from his cheek to his forehead. The boy answered with a hug, his arms curled around the dragon's neck and he buried his face in the scales.

" I missed you " He whispered between sobs.

Toothless felt a pang of panic. How long had he been unconscious ? He only found the vaguest recollections : There was the monstrous nightmare, the fight, the falling tree and then...Nothing. A blank. Had he left Hiccup to fight the dragon all by himself ? Guilt flooded the night fury. Hiccup and he left Berk over six months ago so that the boy shouldn't ever have to kill a dragon. It was in vain then.

Hiccup pulled out of the hug and stared at the night fury in the eyes. Toothless stared back.

" Four days...You were gone for four days..."

The dragon's eyes widened in shock and his ear-flaps perked up. Four days ?! He had left his poor, suffering, undefended human alone against the world for four entire days ? For four days he had abandoned Hiccup to believe he was dead, that he would never wake up, that they would never be together ever again, that their bond was lost. His eyes flashed with alarm, his twitched shook open, trying to muster some sort of reassuring response or apology.

Hiccup hushed him and hugged him again. " But you're back now... You're here."

Both lay there for a long while, simply enjoying each-other's presence. Something they realized they needed as much as food and air, that if they were held apart for to long, it was like holding your breath underwater and they were likely to suffocate.

And so they talked, they slept and sung. Both happily wailing into the silence. Silence, that had occupied their lives for too long, and was to be replaced by happy noise.

* * *

_ The next morning_

" Alright bud, you ready to go fly ? "

The dragon leapt around the room excitedly, turning around the big wooden table, knocking over chairs and stools as his rider equipped his armour. When the boy finished, he sunk his helmet onto his head, knocked his fist against it a couple of times before saying :

" Okay I'm ready."

" **About time too !** " Yapped the dragon as he pounced out of the living area into the forge room and out the front door. Hiccup followed, equally excited, it had been too long since both of them had soared high in the sky.

Toothless ran in random directions outside, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he left paw prints all over the previously untouched snow. Hiccup laughed heartily through the helmet at the sight and the night fury stopped before his human, gesturing with his head to get on his back.

The boy swiftly leapt on the dragon and they took off with a " _Whoosh_ ", flinging snow all over.

Hiccup whooped as they flew once again through the cold winter air. Every time it felt better than they remembered. They flew higher and higher before reaching the clouds, then they dived at ludicrous speeds along the side of the single mountain that stood in the centre of Dreki.

Air rushed against their bodies, adrenaline took over and they spiralled down before pulling up at the last possible moment. They flew away from the island and out at sea, skimming the water with the tips of Toothless' wings.

Hiccup laughed through the helmet and Toothless let out a roar of pleasure.

They hadn't felt that good in...Well ever.

They were totally carefree, absolutely ecstatic. And I think you'll agree with me when I say it was about time...


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello ! Today, we meet three new characters, essential to the story. It's at this point when the whole village thing starts to take off...So please, no matter how badly it's written, bear with me !**

 **Rant Over !**

* * *

Much to the pair's regret, winter left to leave room for spring. The cold silent nights were disappearing, as were the peaceful moment by the fire, or even the untouched morning snow. It was a strange feeling for Hiccup, who had always hated winter on Berk. For him, winter had always been a time of bitter cold and suffering and hunger ( Without mentioning the endless hail ). But since he and Toothless moved to Dreki, winter seemed like a blessing, a time of peace and beautiful frosty simplicity.

On a positive note, Toothless' wound had healed. Now replaced by a slightly lighter coloured streak than ran across his upper skull, the scar was barely noticeable as the darker grey faded in with the general black taint of the dragon's scales. But if you looked carefully enough, you could see it, it was a witness of a past battle, and of it's painful consequences.

Hiccup's wound, was on the inside. Although he never suffered any physical damage during the fight, his mind was rocked and shaken to a point where light trauma had started to manifest itself. It was buried deeply, very deeply, but it was there nevertheless. It was a fear of loss. Not that he had never feared to lose Toothless before, but this experience had amplified the boy's phobia of losing his dragon brother. A phobia, that manifested itself through the form of an occasional nightmare every five months or so. But despite the slight wounds and the arrival of spring, the two lived on, even happier and closer than before.

* * *

" Why would anyone come here ?" Asked Hiccup to no one in particular.

Both he and Toothless stood hidden in the tree-line by the beach, staring out at sea towards a small sailing boat that was heading straight for them. The afternoon sun was a red yellow disk that hung barely above the horizon, painting fragmented clouds pink.

" **I don't know...** " Huffed the dragon, irritated and suspicious.

" It's a deserted island ! No one ever visits."

Toothless stared at the boy with a mocking glare accompanied by a snarky smile that seemed to say : " **It's not as if a night fury and a a runaway heir lived here...** "

" I'm not an heir anymore, and no one knows we live here..." Debated the boy. "...No one knows we even exist."

" **Well they're still coming...Whoever _They_ are** " Snorted Toothless.

Hiccup ran his hand through his hair while sighing." Aw boy...What are we gonna do bud ? "

" **You're gonna talk to them...** " Meant the dragon, flinging his head in the boat's general direction.

" Now we all know how that's gonna go..."

The dragon wailed nonchalantly " **Chill, I got you're back.** "

The auburn-haired boy pursed his lips and slowly shook his head." I have a bad feeling about this..."

* * *

The boat ran aground on the beach. It was a small boat, tiny, in fact. It had a reasonably small white sail and bore only three passengers. It was a wonder the three made it this far out at sea in a boat easily comparable to a wooden bucket.

A boy about Hiccup's age dragged himself out of the boat, falling to his knees on the sandy beach. He laughed in disbelief as he grabbed fistfuls of sand that seeped out between his fingers, he seemed happy to set foot on proper ground again. An older girl followed, about twenty years of age. She was clutching the hand of a much younger little boy around the age of eleven.

Hiccup noted their figures. They weren't the usual barrel-chest Vikings with wide shoulders, no, they were tall and muscular, not skinny but nevertheless slender. Another worthy note was their tan, their olive coloured skin wasn't a colour one could find frequently this far north. All had dark hair and equally matching dark brown eyes.

" What are Romans doing here ? " Muttered Hiccup under his breath.

The more Hiccup observed, the more he noticed the similarities between the strangers. The younger lad held an uncanny resemblance to the older one, both had short dark messy hair, and the same nose, same jaw line...

Then Hiccup realized that they were all siblings. All three held the same face and same general figure. Toothless grunted and nodded towards the strangers, meaning : " **What are you waiting for ?** "

Hiccup nodded gravely before fitting his helmet on his head and stepping out of the tree-line. He let his undeployed crossbow hang by his left flank as he walked slowly towards the strangers, who were now desperately trying to pull the boat up onto the beach away from the tide.

The eldest boy noticed Hiccup approaching and immediately drew a short Roman gladius from it's sheath that hung on his left flank. Hiccup stopped and deployed the crossbow before holding it up to his face and aiming at his opponent through the ironsights.

The woman screamed anxiously and the little boy hid behind her legs " MARCUS ! "

The boy stood his ground, legs flexed in a fighting stance. Hiccup peered into his eyes and saw determination but also exhaustion.

" Stay back ! " Shouted the stranger hoarsely, swinging his word out at thin air.

Hiccup simply stood there, still aiming at the intruder. Now that he was closer, he noted that all of them wore clothes drenched in water, that must be hell in the freezing northern air ( Even though it was spring). Their lips were a deathly blue and their constant shivering was a clear indicator that the sea hadn't been kind to the trio.

" We don't have to fight..." Said Hiccup, slowly pointing his crossbow down at the ground.

The stranger's stance relaxed as he slowly lowered the sword. Hiccup decided to take a leap of faith and he retracted the bow limbs of his weapon before sheathing it on his back. The stranger did the same as Hiccup walked over to the three Romans. When he got close enough for them to shake hands he removed his helmet and tucked it under his arm before sticking out a hand to the boy.

" I'm Hiccup."

" Marcus." Said the boy suspiciously. His sister and younger brother stepped forward.

It was the girl's turn to speak. " I'm Lucia and this is Septimus." Hiccup shook Lucia's hand, Septimus eyed him warily while he clutched his sister's hand, making Hiccup feel very uneasy.

" Ahem...You uh...Seemed to have had quite the trip." Said Hiccup.

" The past few days were hard..." Answered Marcus, his voice full of hostility.

" You look quite err...cold, I wouldn't want to have the first visitors on my island freeze to death...My house isn't far back." Hiccup gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. The Roman family looked at each other, debating the decision through silent and hesitant looks and glances.

" It's uh...It's just a suggestion...I mean if you don't want to, I-I perfectly understa-..."

The eldest of the group, Lucia, interrupted him with a charming smile. " We'd love too."

" Ok...great...Uh...This way."

And so Hiccup let the Romans off the beach and into the tree-line towards the clearing. He could hear indistinguishable whispers behind him, most likely about him. But he'd let them be, after all, they looked in terrible shape and he'd only just met them. Hiccup knew that Toothless lurked in the shadows not far off. This situation could get tricky very quickly. He couldn't introduce them to the night fury yet, they would over-react and terrible things would happen, maybe tomorrow.

* * *

When they reached the clearing, Hiccup led them into his cottage. He directed them through the forge to the living area. They wall sat at the table and Hiccup offered them furs as blankets that they graciously accepted.

" Are you hungry ? " Inquired Hiccup.

They all nodded eagerly.

" Right... I'll uh...I'll get something cooking." He moved over to four barrels that stood in the corner and took out some fish that he placed over the fire in the next door room. He heard them whisper quietly as he cooked the fish, they probably imagined he couldn't hear them. And although he couldn't tell the subject of their conversation, he was sure they were debating his honesty.

A couple of minute later, he walked back into the living area with three wooden boards, on each board was a cooked fish and a knife. He sat at the table with them, silently observing as they noisily wolfed down the fish like there was no tomorrow.

" How long ago was it since you had a proper meal ? " Asked hiccup after a while.

" Two days." Answered Septimus between gulps. Hiccup's eyes widened and his jaw slackened a little.

" Two days ?! "

" Uh-uh"

Marcus cut in. " We've been at sea for three weeks straight, we ran out of supplies two days ago, despite rationing."

" I-I have some more if you want..." Stuttered Hiccup, gesturing towards the food barrels.

The trio nodded.

Hiccup went back to the barrels and pulled out some dried meats. Those were consumed at an equally unnatural rate. When all three were done they rested their elbows on the table and held their heads with their palms. They looked exhausted.

" That was good..." Complimented Marcus.

" What did you say your name was again ? " Asked Lucia.

" Hiccup."

" Just Hiccup ? "

" Just Hiccup."

The Romans frowned.

Marcus broke the silence." You live alone here ? "

" No I have a friend."

" I haven't seen him."

" I'll introduce you tomorrow...You're all siblings I gather...You have a last name ? "

The guests glanced nervously at each other again, silently debating whether or not to tell him something.

" Sylla, that was our name...We used to live in a conquered village on the Gaul coastline." Said the woman.

" _'Used to'_? "

" We ran away." Completed Marcus.

" I don't imagine your gonna tell me why ? "

None answered.

" I figured...But please answer this : Are you wanted ? Am I angering anyone or breaking any law by helping you ? "

" N-No, we didn't do anything wrong ! " Blurted out Lucia anxiously.

" No one's after us." Assured Marcus calmly.

" Great, that'll avoid us all being slaughtered..." Drawled the auburn-haired boy. " I ran away to, a long time ago, but if my people found out where I was and why I left they'd have my head on a spike in less than a minute..." Chuckled Hiccup humorously.

He got up grabbed a handful of dried meat and put it in a small cloth bag.

" I'll let you all settle down for the night...Someone can have my mattress if you want. The others can sleep on the ground I guess..."

" Wait, where are you going ? " Asked Septimus.

" I'm gonna see my friend and let you sleep till morning..." Explained Hiccup as he tightened the leather straps of his armour. "...Just, please don't touch anything in the forge." And with that he walked out of the room and through the front door.

He'd sleep under Toothless' wing tonight, it was fine really, he was used to it. In fact he much preferred sleeping against his dragon brother under the stars than in a room full of strangers he met less than an hour ago. He walked out of the clearing and into the woods, where he found the night fury leaping down from the branch of a pine to greet him.

The dragon crooned as he nuzzled Hiccup in the chest.

" Hey bud...I got them some food and blankets, they'll be okay if they don't catch any sickness from the cold."

The dragon pulled back and gave him an incredulous look that meant : " **Why are we even doing this for strangers ?** "

Hiccup sighed. " Look, I like to think that they would have done the same for us. They're not Vikings, they're not mean people, I'm sure of it. "

The dragon huffed.

" Look, tomorrow I'll introduce you and we'll find a way to all sleep indoors okay ? "

Toothless moaned a : " **If you say so...** "

" Great. Now, you up for a bit of night-time flying ?"

Toothless yapped in approval

* * *

_Meanwhile, in the Toothless' and Hiccup's abode_

The Romans were still sitting around the table, their heads held up by hands or resting on crossed arms.

" Do you trust him ? " Asked Marcus.

" I don't know...He helped us after all." Answered Lucia.

" He looked scary with the crossbow." Piped Septimus with his little voice.

" I never saw anything like it, the way those bow limbs retract and deploy..." Wondered Marcus. He got curious and stood with great effort before walking over to the next room, the forge. He turned on the spot as he scanned the walls, utterly bemused. He had only glanced when they first crossed the room to get to the living area, but now he could fully observe the skilled teenager's creations.

Complex and unknown mechanisms hung off hooks and rested on shelves along with strange weapons. A beautiful sword with a double-edged blade hung above a workbench. Marcus stood there for another minute or so before returning to his siblings. He sat down heavily on the stool at the table.

" Well ? " Asked Lucia.

" He's good, real good. I never saw these types of mechanisms before, and he sure knows how to make a sword."

" Right, but we still don't know if he'll kill us in our sleep or not..."

" If he wanted to kill us, he would have poisoned our food. Besides, why would he kill us ? We have nothing."

" He just seems too nice, something's off...I can feel it."

" Not everyone is pure evil you know..."

Septimus joined in. " Even if he is evil, Marcus'll defend us. Right Marcus ? "

The teen chuckled. " You bet Sep. He doesn't even look that strong..."

" Yeah, not your typical Viking. In fact he probably isn't even a Viking." Observed Lucia.

" He has the pale skin and red hair though..."

" But he's a toothpick ! Vikings are supposed to be strong and deadly..." Lucia flexed her arms and puffed out her chest in mock toughness.

Marcus snorted." He may not be strong, but my guess is he can handle that crossbow expertly enough..."

Lucia raised an eyebrow. " Ya' think ? "

" I'm pretty sure he's good enough we should happy about the fact he didn't want to fight earlier."

" Hmm..." Said Lucia thoughtfully.

" What do you think his friend looks like ? " Asked Septimus innocently twiddling his thumbs.

" I don't know, but something's shady about it all, why would he hide him from us...And why won't he sleep inside tonight ? " Inquired Lucia

Marcus sighed. " I have no idea...But my guess is, they've been the only two on this island for a long time. And we've probably just upset the peace they had, I don't blame him for not wanting to spend the night in a house full of strangers you've only just met."

Lucia shook her head. " We should leave in the morning..."

Marcus frowned and raised his voice angrily." To go where ? Lu, we've only just arrived ! Crīsāre(1) ! We've been at sea for _three weeks_ ! I'm sick of the water and the waves and the rationing ! Aren't you ?! "

" I don't want to go back Lu..." Pleaded Septimus.

Marcus continued his rant. " And even if we wanted to leave we'd have to steal his food for the trip. After all he's done you want us to repay him by taking of with all his supplies !? "

" No..." Responded Lucia, uncertain whether or not she meant it.

" Good cause' we aren't those kind of people ! We left to avoid a cruel, heartless monster, not become one."

Silence followed. Marcus drummed his fingers furiously on the table as Septimus continued to twiddle his thumbs. It was the little boy's statement, that broke the long-standing silence by turning to Lucia. " He has a point you know."

" Oh shut up Sep..." Retorted the woman, infuriated to have lost the debate in the face of convincing arguments.

" Ya see ? Even Sep agrees ! " Yapped Marcus, uncrossing his arms to gesture towards his younger brother.

" Alright ! " Conceded Lucia. " We'll stay a little longer...But keep an eye out." She sighed exasperatedly. " Marcus, I don't know how you can possibly trust a stranger within the hour we met him."

The boy summoned a sarcastic tone. " Now let's see : He didn't kill when he could, He welcomed us instead of sending us back out at sea, He offered food and place to stay and he was overall quite charming and not riddling us questions. Is that enough for _milady ?_ "

" No, he could be feigning it for all we know ! "

Marcus' pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. " For the name of Jupiter ! Can't you see there's more to this guy than just someone who lives alone on an island and kills strangers for no good reason ? He's a master blacksmith, he's kind and inventive, and for some reason he can't live in normal society. My guess is that he is a strange, but good person that can't stand having a group of lost kids freeze to death on his island."

Lucia stayed silent, simply staring back gravelly at Marcus.

The teenage boy sighed. " Look, I'll stay awake and guard the place while you sleep if it'll make you feel better."

" Thanks." Said the woman as she set herself down on the floor besides Septimus, they huddled together cosily while wrapped in the furs.

" G'night Lu."

" Night' Sep."

" Night' Marcus."

" Yeah cause' I'm gonna have a brilliant night... Just sitting here staring a the door, not sleeping when I have three weeks of exhaustion weighing down on me."

" Crybaby." Mocked Septimus.

" Shut up and go to sleep." Chuckled Marcus.

He sighed yet again. _This is going to be a long night_ he thought.

* * *

 **(1) Crīsāre ! == Fuck ! ( That's the closest Roman translation I could find. )**

 **Don't forget to leave a review, tell me how bad my writing is and what you think of the story so far. I'm always open to constructive criticism. It'd make my day.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I spent quite some time on this chapter, and I'm still not satisfied with it. But I decided to post it nevertheless, I hope you still like it...**

 **Don't forget to leave a review, it'd make my day. Especially if it's criticism of some sort, something to make me a less pathetic writer.**

 **Rant Over !**

* * *

Hiccup stood in front of his own cottage door, the morning sun floated barely barely the horizon. He never thought he'd ever be hesitating to enter his own home, it was a strange feeling indeed. A gust of wind blew patterns across the short, green grass in the clearing while the boy gathered enough courage to open the door and face the Roman guests. As far as he knew, they could distrust him to a point where he would open the door and immediately have a sword to his throat. Another outburst of wind ruffled his auburn hair. He took in a deep breath and opened the door.

He wasn't greeted by a sword, but rather Lucia, who was cooking meat over the forge hearth. Her head shot up as Hiccup opened the door.

" Oh hey Hiccup ! I made breakfast."

" You... err...What ? " Said Hiccup, confused. To be honest, he was expecting an argument or a fight. Only yesterday they had been whispering behind his back, and now the woman was kindly making breakfast for him. He felt like a pathetic host.

" We have to pay you back somehow." She smiled " We'd have died of cold during the night had you not offered us a place to stay."

" Uh...Y-You didn't have to make breakfast...I-I could have-..."

Lucia laughed, immediately silencing Hiccup. " There's a plate waiting for you." She gestured towards the door that led to the living area. Hiccup walked through the door and saw Marcus and Septimus sitting at the table, eating the cooked meat with their knives.

" Mornin' " They both said at the same time.

" Err...Morning." Answered Hiccup as he seated himself before the third plate of meat and started eating. Eventually Lucia joined them and they all ate in silence until Septimus spoke up.

" Mister 'Iccup."

" It's just Hiccup "

" Hiccup, Why do you live alone on this island ? "

The other two Romans' eyes widened in alarm. All three had agreed this morning to earn their stay by being excellent guests, that included making breakfast and _not asking any intrusive questions_.

" Sep ! " Hissed Marcus, slamming the butt of the knife on the table.

Lucia started apologising " I'm sorry, he-..."

But Hiccup interrupted her. "- N-No it's fine. Really." Hiccup smiled. " Firstly, I don't live alone. " He stated casually." I have a friend to keep me company. In fact he's really more of a brother."

" When will we see him ? " Piped the little boy.

" Soon. And secondly, I live here because I ran away."

" Why ? "

" I was born a Viking..." All Romans raised an eyebrow, finding that hard to believe. "...Imagine _me_ amongst _Vikings_. I can't swing a sword, I can't lift an axe." He sighed. " They despised me, I was the verbal and sometimes physical punching-bag of the village. So I left."

" That's understandable." Nodded Marcus with no little amount of humour.

" Not only that, but I have different principles than them."

" What do you mean ? " Asked Lucia.

Hiccup put down his knife and scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. " I err...I think it's time I introduce you to my _friend..._ "

* * *

He led them outside into the clearing where the morning sun shone down on the green grass and the trees rustled with the sighing wind.

" Please, keep your weapons sheathed. He won't hurt you."

The Romans were nervous after that last statement. Marcus clutched the hilt of his sheathed gladius and Lucia thought of the knife hidden in her left boot. Hiccup waved in direction of the tree-line and out of the shadows crept Toothless. He walked slowly and non-aggressively as he had been instructed, a conflict was the last thing he and Hiccup wanted on their hands, or paws.

" What-the ?!..." Exclaimed Lucia, backing off suddenly. Septimus yelped and grabbed her hand. Marcus, on the other hand, courageously stood his ground and unsheathed his gladius before pointing it at the dragon.

Hiccup jogged up to Toothless and stood besides him, resting a hand on his head to show the night fury was a friend.

" T-That's a dragon ! " Stuttered Marcus in shock, his held out- sword was shaking uncontrollably, he was terrified. They all were.

" I hadn't noticed." Drawled Hiccup. " Hey Toothless did you know you were a dragon ? "

Toothless shook his head in mock astonishment. " **The more you know...** "

Lucia managed to utter a question despise her paralysing terror." You tamed a-a dragon ?! "

" No, I befriended him. You can't tame dragons..." Pointed out Hiccup.

Marcus had lowered his gladius ever so slightly and had stopped shaking, his rational mind was slowly taking over once more. " That explains the scorched slab... in the corner of the living room." Then his expression changed from thoughtful to confused. " My teacher taught me all the different types of dragons, I never saw that one in the books."

" That's because we are the only ones ever to have seen him..."

The armed Roman's jaw dropped to the ground " It's a-a...T-The" Stuttered Marcus in his sudden realization, unable to utter a complete sentence.

" A what ? " Asked Lucia definitely worried, she hadn't studied as her brother had, and only vaguely knew a thing or two on dragons.

" The Nox Draco ! " Managed the Roman teenager. Lucia and Septimus gasped, even the Romans had heard of dragons and of the legend of the night-fury.

" Dragons aren't what everyone think they are. They aren't heartless killers, they are intelligent and loving. Toothless here, gave me more comfort and love than my _own father_ , who'd look at me every time with a disappointed scowl on his face."

Toothless crooned and nuzzled the boy in the chest in response.

" Incredible..." Gasped Lucia with a totally bemused expression. She was still processing the fact that the fabled predators she had heard so much about could be friendly and loving, even with the proof before her eyes.

" W-What's up with his tail ? " Asked Septimus, scared, but nevertheless curious as usual.

Hiccup stopped patting Toothless and cleared his throat uncomfortably. " Err... This could be a long story."

* * *

They talked until sunset. They ignored the wind and the light changing around them as the day progressed, they were totally absorbed in their conversations. and Hiccup lay against Toothless on the ground, the dragon's tail wrapped around his human affectionately. The Romans also sat on the floor in front of the dragon and his rider, although they kept their distance at first, they gradually grew more trusting and less afraid. Hiccup told them how he met Toothless, and why he was missing a tail-fin. They marvelled at the tale and at the complexity of the dragon's prosthetic.

They talked plenty, mostly about dragons and their potential. But then came a moment in the conversation when Hiccup had some questions of his own.

" So err...I just gave you my most well-guarded secret and my whole life story. But uh...What about you ? "

There was a pause where the Roman trio glanced at each other, unsure on how to proceed. A gush of wind threw everyone's hair into chaos proportional to it's length. Eventually, Marcus spoke up.

" We used to live in a small conquered town on the Gaul coastline. Our family were wealthy land owners, we lived amongst the other Romans of the region."

" We were happy there." Added Lucia mournfully.

Marcus continued gravely." For a while, as the eldest I received education and a sword-fighting training. But Lucia..."

Lucia completed the boy's sentence. " I received education on how to cook, and raise children...In Roman society, girls usually marry between sixteen and nineteen. I was already late, our parents were desperate to find me a suitor."

" Unfortunately, they just so happened to sign a marriage contract with a man named Agrippa."

The woman frowned at the name." He was a brute."

" He was a beast, he had the size and intelligence of one." Said Marcus, giving a forced chuckle, strained because of the seriousness of the situation.

" He got rich in the slave-trade, he owned half the town. It must've been a pretty big bride price..."

" He even bought and bribed himself free after murdering a man." Pointed out the Roman teenager.

" So that's why you left ? " Concluded Hiccup.

" Yeah, we decided to stick with Lu, and find another home someplace else" Finished Marcus, he sighed, as if replaying tough events of their journey in his mind. " We crossed the Channel, went north with that little boat. We sailed for months, stopping and resupplying wherever we could."

Lucia interjected once again, wearing a saddened expression. " But we soon found out people aren't that kind this far north. Not to Romans at least."

" Well, I guess we _all_ got a first-hand account of that didn't we ? " Scoffed Hiccup sarcastically.

They all chuckled.

" Yeah you're the only one who's actually ever offered us anything _but_ insults. And you just happen to be the only one to have ever befriended a dragon." Said Marcus, causing Hiccup suddenly feel extremely uncomfortable, his cheeks turned a slight shade of red. He wasn't used to receiving any praise or compliments of any kind, especially not from someone his own age-group.

He scratched the back of his head uncomfortably." Well, as I said...It wouldn't do to have the first visitors to my island die of cold on their first night here."

They all laughed " Yeah I guess not." Snorted Lucia.

Hiccup got up from against Toothless while stating. " Well, I'm off to bed. I'll be sleeping next door in the forge if you need me."

The guests all gave a unanimous " Kay' "

Hiccup poked Toothless gently with his foot. " Come on, get up you lazy pile of bones." The dragon merely yawned, got up and walked with the group back into the house, and then went straight over to his slab.

" Ugh...You aren't gonna leave the living room to the guests ? " Argued Hiccup. The dragon flopped down lazily on the slab after burning it and snorted a. " **Nope, and there's nothing you can do to separate me from my bed...I've already spent a night outside for them.** "

Hiccup rolled his eyes and sighed, gesturing towards the dragon. " 'Unholy Offspring of Lighting and Death Itself'...Yeah right...I don't know why I put up with you. " But Toothless ignored him, he was already curled up and about to fall asleep.

" You guys err...You guys all right with having Toothless in the room ? "

They all nodded. Hiccup gave an internal sigh of relief, he was happy the Romans had understood and accepted the dragon so easily, it had only taken a day of discussing, as opposed to thirty seconds of slaughtering. _Maybe Romans are more open-minded than the stubborn Vikings._ Mused Hiccup.

" Great, just don't wake him up. He loves his sleep more than he loves me..."

Toothless still had his eyes closed and was curled up in sleeping position, but he nevertheless gave a lazy moan as a response. " **That's not true... I _almost_ love sleep more than I love you...**"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and left the room, closing the door behind him. While his brother and sister settled down on the floor for the night, Marcus hesitantly crawled over to the dragon and whispered to him :

" Hey Toothless ? "

The dragon, raised his head to look at the boy with an annoyed expression. " **What ?** "

" Can I uh...Ask you a question ? "

Toothless thought for a minute. Hiccup wanted to befriend these humans, and he didn't mind them _too_ much. He figured it was probably best to answer whatever the question was, for the sake of staying on good terms.

He nodded.

" Ok...Um..." Marcus pinched the bridge of his nose and thought of a way of formulating his question without offending the dragon. Hiccup had cautiously explained than unless you were very close to the dragon, insulting a dragon or somehow staining his honour would be the last thing you would ever do. " This has been nagging me for a while...D-Do you still feel angry about Hiccup ripping off your tail-fin ? " He blurted out that last part, and feared the worst when he saw the dragon's eyes widen and his ear flaps lift up.

Toothless had been totally taken aback by the question, it had hit him like a silver warhammer ( DF reference ) . He wasn't expecting the question at all, but he was sure of the answer, he had been a long time ago.

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

" Right...Thanks for-...-For answering."

And so Marcus crawled back under his furs on the floor with many thoughts and questions whirling around in his head. The dragon re-buried his head under his own wing, soon enough, the whole house was fast asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**To answer the previous chapter's reviews/questions :**

 **1/ Hiccup cannot speak dragonese, but most dragons ( especially Toothless ) are extremely communicative through their body language and tone. In addition, he and Toothless know each other inside out so it's very easy for one to guess the other's thoughts.**

 **2/ No, Hiccup and Lucia will not form a couple for two reasons : Firstly, is that Hiccup is a fifteen year-old boy and Lu a twenty year-old woman. Secondly, someone else will come along at some point and steal Hiccup's little heart and...( I'll let you guess, but the rating will stay T )**

 **Right, now that I've answered the questions : This chapter depicts a casual day for the characters. It acts in pacing the story and developing the characters. A more action-filled chapter will follow Sunday.**

* * *

When came morning, Marcus was the first to wake up. He had always been an early riser. He left the comfort of his furs and quietly grabbed some dried meats to eat outside, so as not to wake up anyone. He peered over to Toothless, still peacefully curled up on his slab while breathing slowly and steadily.

The Roman teenager was still trying to process all that he had learnt, that dragons were peaceful and naturally loving. He had always been told by his teacher that dragons were vicious predators, designed by the gods to hunt and kill in the most efficient way. But it seems Jupiter and his posse decided to add another aspect to the beasts : An intelligence equal to humans and an infinitely warmer heart.

He crept out quietly, wincing every time his weight made the floorboards crack. He gently opened the door that led to the forge, which opened with a long, agonizing creak. Once he stepped into the room, he abandoned his stealthy attitude, the floor was beaten dirt, so he couldn't make much noise by walking around. Although he did pay careful attention not to knock over anything metal that could potentially make a loud clanging noise and wake everyone up.

The boy originally intended to step out the front door, but just then, he noticed Hiccup. The thin boy was fast asleep at one of the workbenches/desks against a wall. His head, rested limply on the table before his notebook and his slightly opened mouth drooled down onto the wood. Besides his head was an inactive hand, equally limp with a charcoal pencil between it's fingers. He seemed to have spent all night drawing in his notebook and had fallen asleep in the process.

Marcus walked over noiselessly and picked up the open sketchbook. Before him was an unfinished design for what seemed to be some sort of advanced trebuchet that could repeatedly fire five boulders in less than fifteen seconds. Although incomplete, the designs were impressive, and the blue-prints extremely detailed.

Marcus flipped the page to find a drawing of Toothless, mid-flight, his wings were majestically sprawled out to catch the wind. The night-fury was drawn in extreme detail, every scale was defined, even a barely noticeable scar on the top of his skull. Marcus made a mental note to check for the scar the next time he'd see the dragon. But while the night fury was depicted with admirable detail, the figure on his back, could barely be recognized as Hiccup. One could identify the boy's frail figure and abundant hair, but otherwise it was just his basic outline. There simply to remind us that someone needed to fly with the dragon.

Marcus went back several pages to the beginning of the book. There he found several notes next to blue-prints of destructive machines. The machines, were designed to kill dragons, besides them were notes like : _will dad like it ?_ The young Roman could only assume that this part of the book dated back from when he still lived on Berk, before he met Toothless. He went back some more pages, only to find a beautiful drawing of a beautiful blonde girl. But it was erratically crossed out, as if Hiccup had forsaken the drawing in a fit of rage. Many more pages were missing and had been ripped out, some of the earlier drawings had been left in, but they all seemed sad and drawn with a heavy hand. Some pages were stained in tears, one page even bore some dried drops of blood.

Marcus returned to the page with the trebuchet and set the book back down where he found it. He walked away and out the front door, musing on just how dark this boy's past had been.

* * *

Four days passed, and the Romans expressed their desire to stay on Dreki a little longer. Hiccup, graciously accepted, thrilled that he had made some Human friends who accepted him for who he was, regardless of his puny physique and choice in dragons as friend. He was even more ecstatic when they had demanded to stay, for once, other men and women decided to stay in his company as opposed to running away as fast as they could as if he bore the plague.

He had left that afternoon with Toothless to Dànor in order to attend the weekly trade festival as well as deliver three orders for swords that had been passed a month ago. He spent a total of three hours there and when he finally returned, Marcus was sitting up against the wall of the house scribbling in his diary.

Many would say that keeping a diary is one of the pretentious things one can do, but in this instance, Marcus would disagree. In his opinion, writing down thoughts and feelings lifts a weight from one's shoulders, as well as helps organize and sort out one's thoughts and feelings, which remain confusing for most. Not only that, but if something unfortunate were to happen, the diary would be a written record of all the events that prceeded the event. Handy tool for one seeking the truth, or at least part of it.

But there is one problem Marcus had with keeping a diary. The thoughts is what anyone holds as most precious, if someone steals or reads your thoughts, you are left with nothing truly of your own. Therefore, writing down said thoughts, could be considered a considerable risk, as opposed to keeping them safely locked away in one's head.

But this was a risk Marcus was willing to take if it meant organized thoughts and feelings as well as a relief in the heavy weight that life casts on anyone's shoulders. But it may or may not have rendered the boy slightly paranoid concerning his book. Indeed, he was so protective of his diary he kept it from all, even his nosy elder sister and unnaturally curious and mischievous younger brother. The only eyes that had read the words and thoughts within the book had belonged to the one who had thought them up in the first place.

But the advantages of having an external and omniscient narrator to a story is that I can let you in on any secret, including the words on the pages of that over-protected written gallery of thoughts. Or I-I could just...y'know...Tell you his thoughts directly.

*Ahem *

But that wouldn't be any fun would it ?

So, there sat the Roman teenager, cross-legged with his diary on his lap and a charcoal pencil in his hand, scribbling away like there was no tomorrow :

 _Day four on Dreki._

 _I keep remembering the lesson on the mind, and how to analyse it. Psychology he had called it, or something like that...He had been one of the first to come up with the process to define another's mind. And I couldn't stop myself from applying it to Hiccup._

 _My conclusion, is that he's a very strange, yet kind boy. He probably had a darker past than he'll let in, and seems to hide behind his jokes and sarcastic comments from the social torture and verbal abuse he suffered from the past. We all have our demons, though some a bigger than others. I was told everyone has a way to cope, I write, and I guess Hiccup uses his dry humour...He also seems ashamed of his weak physical attributes. He can't lift the lightest of axes and that seems to have chipped a chunk out of his self-esteem._

 _But that leads me to my second point. Where he fails with the physical, he excels with the theoretical. His mind can conjure up the strangest of contraptions and his craftsman skills will bring anything he thinks of to reality. A rare skill indeed._

 _I have a theory : His most obvious attribute is his affinity with dragons. As I have written before, he has tamed a dragon, a nox draco no less ! And he had done that while living in a Viking village. That must've required no small dose of madness and a barrel-full of courage._

 _So, Hiccup's slight madness is, in fact, his greatest asset. It is what grants him this gift with dragons and the ability to invent the craziest of contraptions and produce them. And even though he might be slightly awkward and his social skills aren't as sharp as Lu's, he remains a kind and trustworthy person with a past he never deserved._

Marcus lifted the pencil from the paper and looked up at the afternoon sky, there he found a night-fury and his rider, looping and speeding erratically in the air. The Roman chuckled, they were obviously back from Dànor, and had decided to have a little fun before landing.

He admired the black silhouettes, performing tricks that would have the most hardened of men faint. Hiccup was indeed crushed against the saddle and had the air knocked out of his lungs at every sharp change of direction, but he loved it, it's part of what makes flying so wonderful.

Marcus' jaw dropped when he saw the pair rose high up into the air, and then suddenly the one shape they formed became two. The Roman frowned. Was something wrong ? Had Hiccup fell from Toothless' back ? But he soon realized the fall was in fact controlled, and was one of the most thrilling things Hiccup had ever felt.

He and Toothless fell aligned, both with their members tucked against their body so as to gain more speed while slicing through the air. Hiccup whooped in joy and Toothless stuck out a goofy tongue that flailed limply in the cold rushing air.

Hiccup proceeded to reclaim his place on Toothless' saddle and the pair pulled up just before hitting the the ground. A second later and they would have been all over the clearing like jam spread on toast. Marcus closed his awed gaping mouth and added to his journal :

 _On second thought, both he and Toothless are totally mad..._

 _On an entirely different subject : I don't when Lu or Sep plan to leave, but I hope we never do. We haven't talked about it, even in the absence of Hiccup. I don't feel like going back out at sea, travelling is the worst. People are hateful and distrustful to strangers and the sea is violent and freezing. For as long as we've travelled this island was the only welcoming place we've encountered and it feels like the home we've been looking for._

 _I hope that Lu and Sep don't want us to resume our travels, I would follow them to the end of the world, but staying here would be peaceful and homely. I also hope Hiccup and Toothless will accept and allow us here if we choose to stay. After all, it's their island. And I can't tell if Hiccup has healed from his ordeal he suffered on Berk yet. This could get tricky..._

 _I'll talk to the others, then we'll ask him, and Jupiter forbidding...It'll all work out._

* * *

 **Voilà !**

 **Leave a review to tell me what you think.**


	9. Chapter 9

The next day started as a plain one, like many of it's predecessors. But it quickly evolved and escalated into something quite worthy of our attention.

As we all know, Septimus, or 'Sep for short, is a rather curious lad. As I have described before, he spends his days away from his infuriating sister and his bossy brother by exiling himself to the woods surrounding the little clearing. And although the three Romans all have the same blood running through their veins and love each other very much, they remain siblings. That means many, many arguments and disagreements and simply getting on each-other's nerves on an all-too-regular basis.

Hence, I can assure you that eleven year-old Septimus' temporary yet daily hermitages are all well justified. The young child finds a strange sense of awe and peace of mind when performing his exploratory occupations, much like our slightly older Hiccup, who needs a daily dose of flying as much as any dragon. And I fear, that much like any dragon, if Hiccup is to remain ground-bound for an extended period of time against his will, he will loose what little mental stability he possesses.

But I'm afraid we are straying far from the subject, I tend to get distracted. My apologies.

As I was saying : This day started quite casually, but quickly flew up to the top rankings of significance with five simple words.

" DRAGOOON ! IN THE FOREST ! " (1)

Septimus was frantically sprinting from the tree-line into the clearing with a mask of terror clouding his face. Hiccup, Marcus and Lucia rushed out, worried. They had been peacefully preparing supper while talking about the geography of the Barbaric Archipelago when they heard the little boy's cries and they rushed out to meet him.

Marcus, who led the charge towards the little Roman, stopped and kneeled down before his younger brother to meet his level, clutching his shoulders as if he would be swept away by the wind.

" What ?! What happened Sep ?! "

" Is he all right ? " Asked Lu, who was standing besides Hiccup, they had finally caught up with Marcus and the traumatized boy.

He was in shock and in tears, his speech was barely distinguishable and his mind was rocked and shaken like never before." I-I...I saw it...S-sleeping by a pond...I-I've never been so scared...I r-ran and-..."

" Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh-Ssssshhhhhh..." Reassured Marcus, running a reassuring hand through Septimus' hair.

Hiccup ran back to the house to equip his armour. He and Toothless had encountered a wild dragon before, and they were unlucky. He swore they would never repeat the same mistake ever again, he was taking no chances.

* * *

" There he is ! " Whispered Marcus, pointing at a sleeping blue figure by a small pond. Both he, Lucia, Hiccup and Toothless were hidden behind the considerably large bush. Their meagre concealment would have been utterly useless had the blue nadder not been completely asleep.

The pine trees around them swayed peacefully in the afternoon breeze, shielding them from the bright sun that floated high above them, shining down powerful rays of spring light. All was quiet, nothing could be heard but the trees.

" What now ? " Asked Lucia.

" Wait here. Don't make any sudden moves " Whispered Hiccup before fitting on his helmet and getting up from the bush. He walked slowly towards the blue dragon, who was curled up peacefully and snoring loudly. Hiccup clicked his tongue so as to wake up the nadder.

The dragon did indeed wake up, but unfortunately in a rather startled manner. The poor nadder jumped with a squawk and his tail tail tensed, four spikes shot towards Hiccup's general direction. Thankfully, none really hit the boy, although one did nearly miss and skim the helmet just above his temple. Toothless' heart skipped a beat and he flinched when he saw that spike ricochet against his beloved human's head. The night fury knew how fragile humans were, and he was thankful Hiccup wore the helmet whenever it was needed. But he didn't take action, that would ruin any chances of gaining that nadder's trust.

In the nadder's defence, he was totally taken by surprise. He was a naturally jittery dragon who had nervousness and hyperactivity issues, indeed, Hiccup had awoken him in one of his rare moments of peaceful sleep. The spikes were shot out of reflex, defence mechanisms took over regardless of the nadder's conscious will, which was also the reason for the poor aim. This nadder, was an excellent shot when concentrated, and took great pride of his (marksman) marksdragon skills. Believe me when I say that this dragon, though unnaturally twitchy, was absolute charmer amongst the females of his species.

So, the blue dragon was quickly on his feet and backing off, terrified. Hiccup, was trying to regain his balance, for the ricochetting spike had thrown his head to one side and caused him to loose his footing. He recovered his balance and took in a deep breath before staring straight at the dragon through the helmet.

The nadder stared back, unsure why this human hadn't simply killed him in his sleep.

Marcus and Lucia observed the scene unfolding before them with wide eyes, hanging mouths and held in breaths. They were too terrified to intervene, yet they couldn't believe this could possibly end well. But, to their even greater surprise. Hiccup took a step closer.

The nadder on the other hand, took a step back in response.

Hiccup reached up to slowly take off his helmet. He knew there was no possible way to gain trust by simply extending a hand. The hand was a symbol, a gesture of great and powerful meaning, it was the most important turning point. But it wasn't the indicator of trust, no, the trust was in the eyes. For the eyes are the window of the soul.

When he himself was pinned to that rock when he met Toothless, their eyes locked, and that's when both saw each other's fear, trust, meaning, longing, everything. Including the will to make a leap of faith and trust one an other with the power to kill, but choose to love.

And so the helmet was removed and dropped to the floor with a soft ' _Thunk'_ .

The boy's green eyes met with the dragon's yellow eyes, the irises contracted and he cocked his head. They stared, traded information through silent communication, they meant things that cannot be written, cannot be said, cannot be worded. In those two seconds of connectivity the dragon's world was flipped upside down as it had been for Toothless and Hiccup on their first time. The dragon saw in the bright emerald green eyes of that human, trust, hope, change. And a will for peace.

Hiccup's hand slowly raised itself as he took a step forward. The dragon, stood his ground.

The un-gloved hand drew closer and closer as the nadder solemnly tilted his head forward, presenting his forehead. And then, they touched, and what was before mere hope for the dragon became reality. He met a human, and they refused to murder each-other.

After an eternal three seconds, the pair separated and stood before each other, still staring. Hiccup's lips twitched into a smile and the dragon answered with a low squawk. Before long, Toothless came out from behind the bush followed by the two hesitant Romans.

The nadder flinched, but did not move, for Hiccup held up a hand meaning ' _Stay calm_ '. But the nadder remained nervous, for not only was he seeing two more peaceful humans following another dragon, but that dragon in question was a _night fury. The_ most powerful and rare type of dragon in existence ( aside from alphas ).

But the nadder was prideful and swallowed his fears and stood his ground for the sake of something better. Indeed, within the first seconds of the contact with Hiccup, an idea sprouted from the back of the nadder's mind :

Maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to live as a lone wanderer. He could be part of something bigger, part of a family, have a cause.

I personally like to believe all intelligent beings need a cause, even if it is just to have fun and enjoy life. this nadder had been looking for such a thing for a long time, and now, there was a glimmer of hope that maybe he could find just that. That, is what motivated the blue dragon to follow the group back to the clearing.

In fact it revolved around one thing, as it had for Toothless and Hiccup long ago. Hope.

* * *

When they did eventually get back to the clearing, the Romans were staying far from the unfamiliar nadder. Septimus, came out of the the house and nearly died of terror when he saw the dragon, he was taken into a reassuring embrace by his sister as Hiccup ordered Marcus to fetch some fish from inside the house.

He did so and when he walked outside again with the fish in his hands the nadder's eyes narrowed and locked onto the food. Wild, or rather, all dragons aren't necessarily good fishers, Toothless is, but this jittery dragon unfortunately wasn't.

" Bring it to him " Suggested Hiccup.

Marcus, stopped dead in his already hesitant tracks. " What ?! "

" Feed him. He'll appreciate it, I'm sure."

Marcus stared at Hiccup, then to the nadder, then back to Hiccup. He gulped loudly and swallowed his fear for the sake of his pride and neared closer to the blue nadder. The dragon, understood the boy's intention, and quickly shot forward and snatched the fish from his trembling hands.

Septimus let out a yelp of fear for his brother, but it was mis-founded. For after that, the dragon merely stood there, fidgeting and shifting weight sporadically from one foot to another. Hiccup, silently motioned an open palm to the other teenager who nodded slowly and hesitantly. Despite his fear, Marcus nevertheless rose his shaking hand and put it up to the nadder's forehead, who had tilted his head in the same manner he did for Hiccup.

Marcus exhaled a nervous laugh accompanied with a smile. He was doing it, he couldn't quite believe it. His rational mind was screaming at him to wake up and realize that he was delusional, stuck, somewhere in that Jupiter-damned boat stranded in the middle of the sea. But he knew it was all real, it felt all too real :

The nadder's pulse transmitting to his fingers.

His warm scales.

The deep purr of acknowledgement emanating from his chest.

And the intelligence, trust, and hope, contained in those yellow eyes.

The Roman's surreal train of thought was interrupted by Hiccup's suggestion. " You should name him"

Both the Roman and the dragon turned towards Hiccup at once, although only one understood. " N-Name him ? "

" Yeah...I mean, he's probably gonna stick around for a while...So...Might as well name him."

" Ok..." Said Marcus, slowly nodding and staring back into the nadder's eyes, who in turn stared back, utterly confused. " ...Jitters..."

" Jitters ? " Asked Lu from several steps back, she wasn't very impressed by the name, that much was clear in her tone.

Hiccup rubbed the scratch in his now deformed helmet." How accurate."

Marcus laughed. And Hiccup walked closer to the pair, and addressed the dragon. " Look...I know you don't understand Norse... yet...But I'm Hiccup." He said, gesturing into his own chest. " This is Marcus, Lucia, Septimus and Toothless" He gestured to every one of them and Toothless gave a small introductory bow when his name was uttered. At this point, Hiccup wondered if Toothless was being courteous, or simply full of himself as usual. " And you..." Hiccup continued, pointing a finger towards the dragon's chest. "...We will call you Jitters."

The dragon answered with a short approving squawk and a celebratory wing beat

* * *

Hence, the first ever wild dragon joined the Drekians, though hyperactive, nervous and infuriatingly fidgety. Jitters, was a warm-hearted dragon, who was more than thrilled that his lone wanderer days were over. And although his own species would disapprove of his new-found family, he didn't care. After all, even the mighty night-fury was there with him.

* * *

 **(1) " TROOOLL ! IN THE DUNGEON ! " ( Harry Potter )**

 **TADAAAA ! Another chapter, not sure how good it is but it gets the story moving on. Next chapter will be recapitulation and detailed description of the following events, not a direct retelling, otherwise it'd get impossibly repetitive.**

 **I hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to tell me what you think.**

 **Rant Over !**


	10. Chapter 10

**Right, so I've re-uploaded this chapter with some minor changes. Minor but necessary, as gracefully pointed out by Shadowmaster91.**

 **Firstly, if not obvious : This chapter is a narrative recollection of the notable events and happenings over several months. ( God, that's a mouthful ! )**

 **Secondly : It seems my sense of irony/sarcasm/antiphrasis/comic is miscalibrated and understood by no one, I have only myself to blame. Hence, I owe you an explanation : if I say "Liked to near death" I do not mean he/she was literally licked to death...Then again my writing might not be good enough to make that obvious.**

 **Thirdly : I know some things like birthdays and whatnot were not part of Viking culture but then again nor was Christmas ( Snoggletog ). Furthermore, this is a story set in a world full of _dragons_...I think birthdays, are the least of historical inacurracies. ( If that's even _sayable_ ) **

* * *

Jitters, turned out to be an excellent hunter, indeed, his previously mentioned spike-throwing skills were quite admirable.

I remember one time, five days after having found his knew family, he got into a exceedingly competitive archery competition with Hiccup ( yes, it turns out Hiccup does actually have a competitive streak to his character ), to see who could get the bullseye from a hundred meters away. Both got the bulls-eye on their first shot. Hence, the human and nadder have been in a constant struggle to bring back more game than the every week. It spiced things up and added a little fun to the necessary chores.

Otherwise, the nadder was infuriatingly fidgety, always in sporadic motion, never fully resting. He only really sleeps certain nights, but when he does it is long a long, peaceful lethargic sleep. They had quickly discovered that waking him up from these moments of blissful quietness was rarely a good idea, and if you absolutely needed him awake _right this moment,_ then it is recommended you somehow hold his tail down. When woken up from deep sleep, Jitters is often startled and his reflexes will order his tail to fire spikes indiscriminately without aiming at anything in particular. This caused many a fright and tenfold the apologies from the nadder.

Furthermore, Jitters and Marcus grew quite close as the months flew by. Indeed they seemed connected in the same manner that Hiccup and Toothless were, they understood each other beyond words and could easily guess the other's intentions. It was like they were destined for each-other, somehow.

Summer came, the air got a little warmer, but not much warmer. For let me remind you that Dreki, is way down south from Berk, but nevertheless on the Meridian of Misunderstanding and within the Barbaric Archipelago, one of the coldest and most unpleasant regions of the world.

Hiccup turned sixteen, and although as humble as ever. He could not prevent his friends from preparing a small occasion behind his back. The human custom was explained to the dragons ( Jitters learnt to understand basic Norse within the first three weeks of meeting the humans and fury ) and when Hiccup returned from his usual daily hunting trip, he found a table set with meat, fish, nuts, berries in abundance.

It was truly a surprise, he had never enjoyed a birthday _ever_ before, and this was truly a first for him. Previously, his passings into a superior age were spent alone at night, in his bed, sadly muttering to himself 'Happy Birthday Hiccup...'

His cheeks turned an interesting shade of red when the three siblings offered him a wooden carving of he and Toothless that could fit in his palm, carved by Lucia. Hiccup had his hand on Toothless' nose, in the same manner and position of when they first made contact in the cove. Hiccup's head was looking away, both had their eyes closed. It was a magical moment in both's memory, now masterfully captured in a small wooden sculpture. Hiccup set it down besides his mattress and admired it often, musing on this moment, that seemed so distant yet that he could remember so vividly.

Toothless, offered Hiccup about fifteen consecutive licks, each one as warm, fishy and gooey as the next. The boy would have refused the presents, but unfortunately he had no say in the matter as he was pinned to the floor by a rather strong night fury licking him to near death out of affection.

* * *

Another week passed and the Romans talked things over between themselves, and came to the conclusion they'd be happiest living here, with Hiccup and Toothless. So they proceeded to tell the pair of their wish to stay. The two accepted enthusiastically, of course. But Hiccup could never quite grasp the concept that people had grown attached enough to him and Toothless for them to choose to settle besides them. It was a first. Then again, so was interacting with humans that treated him as equal.

Hence, the next two weeks were spend on the construction of a house for the Romans and Jitters. It was a hard process, but with Hiccup as architect and dragons as builders, the process was actually rather rapid all things considered.

The house was composed of two floors. The bottom one consisted of a stone-paved living room with a fire-pit in the centre as well as a surprisingly sizeable smooth solid slate sleeping slab for Jitters. In the next room was the kitchen, which in turn led to the storage room. On the second floor were three bedrooms of wood, comfortably furnished with wardrobes and soft beds. All the furniture was produced by Lucia, who had some wood-carving basics ( She was forced by Hiccup to teach him all that she knew in the process, Hiccup being the knowledge hoarder that he is.)

But although Marcus had his own bedroom, he understood Hiccup for sleeping besides his dragon brother. For he will never admit it ( he is after all a brave Roman soldier by nature ), but anyone living on Dreki knew he'd creep downstairs to sleep under the warmth and reassurance of Jitter's wings every now and again. That is, when the nadder is in fact, sleeping. Otherwise the hyperactive and insomniac dragon would go on walks or flights around the island, simply enjoying the night life.

As mentioned before, Marcus and Jitters had grown close. But the Viking teenager had yet to convince the Roman to accept Jitters' proposal for a first flight.

Eventually, Hiccup and Lucia managed to get Marcus on the nadder's back, who couldn't wait to show his friend the wonders of flight. A harness and saddle was made for the pair within two days. Hiccup had reassured the Roman that he and Toothless would fly alongside them and catch him if anything went wrong.

The take-off was rather brusque, it was exactly what Jitters' had promised _not_ to do, it seemed like the dragon had a little mischievous side to him and wanted to scare the Roman that now furiously clutched to his back for dear life.

If scaring was his objective, then he was effective. Marcus was more terrified than he had ever been, never, did he feel a fear as powerful as this. He clung to the nadder until his knuckles were white and his eyes clenched as tight as possible. A humorous aspect of the situation was the language Marcus produced, which was as colourful as the rainbow :

" Perfide ! Stercore ! Ego vadens ad moriendum ! Mallem nutrientibus gallus quam fugere ultra ! "

Hiccup ( who flew besides the pair while atop of Toothless ) merely laughed from behind the helmet. He armed his sarcastic tone and yelled over the wind : " I'm flattered to be insulted by your mother tongue ! You must really mean it ! "

" I AM NOT LISTENING TO YOU EVER AGAIN !"

" You should open your eyes, the view is wonderful."

Marcus still had his head pushed against Jitters' back, and his eyes were tightly closed. " I'm sure it is, but I'd rather not see how far I'm going to _fall_ thank you very much ! "

" If you don't open your eyes I could get Jitters to do barrel-rolls..." Suggested Hicup

Marcus didn't respond for a moment but before long he realized he didn't have a choice and his voice rose up " ascendit vestra-... ! "

" Whatever that meant..." Scoffed the helmeted boy with a smile.

So Marcus did reluctantly take a peek at the world around him. And, from that moment on, he relaxed and marvelled at the view of the vivid green island below them and the wide expanse of the sea, reflecting dots of afternoon sunlight.

Needless to say that they went flying again the next day, and the day after, and the day after that, ect...

Within a week, Jitters and Marcus were performing flips and racing Hiccup and Toothless through the sea-stacks surrounding the island. But the most daredevil occupation for both, was the skydiving. Indeed, they had found a thrilling occupation consisting in jumping from an altitude so high the air is too thin to breath, and race to the bottom. The riders would unhook themselves from their dragon's saddles and they would fall side by side, two dragons and two humans, maintaining the same speed in their descent and regaining their place on the saddle at the same moment, pulling up only mere meters from the ground.

Things went well for the two months following. Hiccup, still performed his weekly visits to Dànor in order to trade, the Romans never accompanied him, knowing that the Vikings there would eye them suspiciously and their presence there would cause nothing but trouble.

* * *

But one day, Marcus and Jitters landed hastily in the clearing between both the houses, they were out both of breath, as if they had just crossed the island at great speeds. Hiccup, was outside practising his aim against a target hung on a tree and Lucia was cleaning a pelt while sitting on a rather large log. When they saw the flustered pair land, they immediately understood something was off, Marcus' expression was a clear indicator.

" We have a problem." He said simply between short inhales.

Hiccup nodded and shot inside his own home, to wake Toothless and equip his armour. When it was done he leapt on the night fury's back and they shot into the air after Jitters.

" So what's the problem ?! " Yelled Hiccup over the high winds. Marcus merely pointed out at sea. His finger indicated a terrifying sight, there, on the flat blue water, floated a small sailing boat, no bigger than the one the Romans arrived to Dreki with.

But the terrifying part wasn't the small sailing boat heading for Dreki's unique beach, no, the scariest was the fleet of _five Viking long-ships_ following said fishing boat. Hiccup and Toothless stared in disbelief, this was indeed, quite a problem.

* * *

 **Oh noes ! What's going to happen next ? Well, I'm afraid you will just have to wait another two days again...MUAHAHAHAHA ! I'm so evil...**

 **On a more profane note : I don't recommend looking what I wrote up.** **Now you know why there's a T rating in this story, even though it's Latin...**

 **In the meantime...**

 **Rant Over !**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello ! I am finally back...I-I'm sorry I took s-so long to upload the next c-chapter...Please forgive me ? Please ?**

 **Unfortunately a certain combination of events ( involving a late thanks-giving with american friends and a sadistic french language teacher ) meant I had absolutely very little time to make a chapter that halfway decent to read...On top of that I had to prepare an essay so my tardiness only accumulated.**

 **Please note that if I were ever to place a story on hiatus or simply abandon it, then it would be written everywhere, including the story desc.**

 **Besides all that I hope you enjoy, despite the botch-job...**

 **Rant Over !**

* * *

The terrifying part wasn't the small sailing boat heading for Dreki's unique beach, no, the scariest part, was the fleet of _five Viking long-ships_ following the small fishing boat. Both Hiccup and Toothless stared in disbelief, this was indeed, quite a problem.

Our four protagonists landed in the tree-line on the rim of the beach. Hidden in the shadows, they had a perfect view of both sea and beach, all while hidden from sight in the dense foliage.

" This might get complicated..." Started Marcus, rather nervously.

Jitters gave a low squawk and rolled his eyes : " **You don't say...** "

Hiccup ran a hand through his thick auburn hair and stared out towards the approaching ships. He sighed anxiously. Toothless crooned, nuzzled his leg and the boy answered by placing a delicate hand on the dragon's scalp.

" Why the small boat ? " He asked to no one in particular.

" A scouting ship...Maybe...? "

" It's not that far away from the main fleet."

" Yeah...Maybe it's being chased ? "

Silence followed, Toothless and Jitters nodded, Marcus's theory made sense. Hiccup was in deep thought, turning ideas, theories, plans over and over in his head. Eventually, he turned to the Roman and two dragons :

" I suggest we wait for the smaller boat to reach the beach so we can figure out what we're dealing with."

" And if they're hostile ? "

" Then, I guess we just try to..." Hiccup flung his hands in the air in opposite directions. "...Scare them away ? "

Marcus smiled faintly before turning to Toothless. " Well, we do have the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself on our side..."

Toothless rose his ears and beamed with pride and satisfaction. A content smile drew over the fury's face, Jitters snorted in mock disdain.

" **You my friend...Are too full of yourself...** "

Toothless, just wanted to rub it in. " **I _never_ miss any target**."

Jitters shifted his weight back and forth restlessly " **Well nor do I.** "

" **Maybe, but I'm never seen by anyone."** Crooned the black dragon.

" **True...** " Toothless's smile grew wider. " **...But we still hear you... _all the bloody time !_** "

The night fury's smile suddenly faded, Jitters on the other hand, was sniggering to his heart's content.

" Guys ! " Hissed Marcus, gesturing to be quiet. "...I hate to break your rant or whatever but the scout ship just landed."

The dragons fell silent. Hiccup unsheathed his crossbow and deployed it with a snap, he didn't point it at anything in particular, but logic dictated to be ready for anything. The tension could have been cut with a knife, the only sounds were the rustling of wind through the pine-trees and the whooshing of the waves collapsing on the white, gravelly sand.

" Wait here..." Said Hiccup to the dragons. " ...I think it's best if we do the talking."

" **I would agree with that** " Conceded Jitters. Toothless on the other hand, would never admit to having a weak point in the matters of (peaceful) negotiations, we all know he's hardly the humble type and would concede to anything if the other negotiator simply offered some fish.

So, the ex-Viking and Roman walked out from the shady concealment of the pine tree-line onto the thick sand and towards the beached fishing boat. Curiously, it's only occupant was a middle-aged Viking woman of a thin appearance, now weakly dragging herself out of the boat to collapse onto the sand.

Hiccup couldn't help but note the fact that every single visitor that ever landed on Dreki seemed to arrive in this weak and feeble manner, barely standing due to the seas' cruel treatment to them and their undersized boat.

The woman, who was kneeling on the ground exhausted, looked up to observe the two teenagers slowly walking towards her. Hiccup's pale and freckled skin, formed a sharp contrast with his friend walking besides him who held a dark olive tan. And even though we couldn't see the ex-Viking's face through the helmet, his neck and hands still showed the pale skin nearly as white as the beach's sand.

The Roman, had a hand on the pommel of his sheathed gladius. Hiccup's finger, twitched against the trigger of his crossbow. As mentioned before, the boy would do anything to avoid conflict. But somehow, this situation seemed to hold no hope in that regard, considering the Viking army approaching.

When they reached close enough to the kneeling woman, they stopped. They solemnly stood, just close enough for conversation, but well out of reach.

" Who are you ? " Inquired Marcus. I can't tell you which one was the most hostile : his voice or his glare.

The woman stared up. She had dark blue eyes and long dark hair that was now thick with salt and sand. It was tied up into three large braids that hung heavily down her back. Her triangular face held a refined jawline, and a relatively lean nose.

She had a thick green cloth tunic with torn sleeves that floated in the wind like a flag and battered leather trousers. She stared for a while, breathing heavily. " Please...You have to help me..." She uttered with a raspy voice, hoarse with thirst.

The Drekians glanced at each other, then turned back to the woman and Hiccup asked : " I suppose it has something to do with that armada over there ? "

The woman nodded pleadingly.

" What do they want ? "

" They want to kill me...Please, I need your help."

" Their motives could be justified..." Noted Marcus, tapping a finger on the ivory pommel of his glaive.

Hesitant silence followed.

Hiccup gestured out at sea with an open hand. " Look... The way I see things, that fleet will probably reach this beach in about ten minutes. I guess you have ten minutes to show us we can trust you."

The woman gulped and pulled herself up to stand. She coughed two or three times and rubbed her hands into her face before looking up and starting : " Look kids I-..."

Marcus cleared his throat disapprovingly, no one would him "kid". The woman nodded and sighed, getting the point before trying again. " I was a healer, in the Skylo clan, two days east from here. One day the chief's son got violently sick and..." She coughed.

" And ? " Inquired Marcus.

" ...And there was nothing I could do. He died...But the Chief...He went mad with grief. He ordered me to be blood-eagled(1) ! He said I poisoned his son, he turned everyone against me...I fled during the night, but they went after me. We've been sailing for two entire days without stopping."

" So... you brought your entire bloodthirsty tribe to our island ? " Confirmed Hiccup. " Oh boy...We're in for a treat..." He sighed.

Marcus bit his lip and turned to Hiccup, awaiting for some sort of action of his part. Hiccup stared back through the helmet. They couldn't leave her, her story seemed relatively plausible and believable. And whatever happened there was very little chance the incoming Viking fleet would just turn-tail and give up now.

" Let's say we believe you..." The helmeted teen finally said. The woman let out a sigh of relief. " Run that way, two hundred metres and you'll get to a small clearing with houses."

Marcus continued Hiccup's instructions. " There you will find a woman, she'll help you."

"Thank you" Exhaled the woman, thrilled. And with that, she ran as fast as she could towards the clearing. The two teens watched her run away until she disappeared into the tree-line before turning back towards the vast sea where approached the ominous fleet.

" We don't even know her name..." Remarked Marcus, slowly shaking his head in disbelief.

" She needs our help."

" Right ! So now _we_ have to cope with all this " He gestured towards the approaching sails on the blue horizon.

" We'll figure it out, Toothless is pretty good at 'convincing' Vikings to run away..." Chuckled Hiccup.

" So he shoots them until they turn and run." Deadpanned the Roman.

" Essentially...Although it would be unfair to just start shooting as soon as they set foot on this beach. We'll ask them to turn and leave, if they don't, we draw our weapons and Jitters and Toothless can start dishing out warning shots while hidden in the tree-line. "

" Great plan, but what happens when those same Vikings make port somewhere else and claim they've seen a pair of teenagers who've befriended a nadder and a _night fury_? We might get another army double the size knocking on front door the next day ! "

Hiccup chuckled " Firstly, no Viking will ever willingly go anywhere near a night fury."

" Except you."

" I'm not a Viking. Two, no one will listen to them. People will think it's a made up story to save their honour because they lost a fight to a bunch of nadders."

" Ok then, we get Jitters to shoot a couple of shields and legs."

" Exactly, let's go tell them the plan." Concluded Hiccup, walking back towards the tree-line to meet the dragons.

* * *

And so, several minutes later, the two teenagers stood side by side on the beach as the Viking boats beached themselves one by one. The first Viking to disembark, was obviously the chief, for he was the tallest, strongest and fiercest of all. He leaped down from the ship, his brown fur cape flew in his wake and he landed on the beach with a ' _thud !_ '. Other Vikings followed behind him as he walked up to the drekians.

As can be expected from a Viking, the chief wore a grand horned helmet and held an impressive battle-axe in his right hand. The barrel-chested brute had a massive grey beard, though showed no signs of weakness despite his obviously advanced age. His teeth were barred and a glint of unstoppable rage burned in the man's eyes, a thirst for revenge. Suddenly, Hiccup couldn't help but believe the woman's story. That look, was a look similar to the one he found on the mad monstrous nightmare several seasons ago. Although this madness, was not caused by disease, but rather by fierce grief.

He stopped before the teenagers as he towered over the pair. Behind him, stood fifty armed Vikings, needless to say the chief was feeling pretty confident. But little did the Vikings know, that merely twenty meters from where they stood, lurked the most dangerous of dragons as well as the best shooter of all nadders.

Hiccup surprisingly, was the first to speak up. Now, you know as well as I, that Hiccup was never the confrontational type. He simply couldn't impose his will through force, he had numerous problems in matters of intimidation. So, it is logical to assume that he would be the last one to speak up against the Viking chief, who stood twice the size as his own father.

But Hiccup _was_ the first one to speak. And when he did, he made sure he was in an environment he knew well : Sarcasm.

" And what might bring you and your fine army to our sandy door-step ? " The teenager bowed mockingly "We would invite you over for supper, but unfortunately I'm not sure we'd have enough food for all of you...Or room as a matter of fact..."

" YOU BETTER STOP YOUR LITTLE GAME KID ! " Howled the man, brandishing his axe in the frail boy's direction.

Hiccup laughed through the helmet. " Please... Don't call me kid...You wouldn't want me calling you 'Grandpa' now, would you ?"

" TELL ME WHERE SHE IS ! "

" Who ? The owner of this boat ? Oh, she's somewhere on our island..."

" I SAW YOU TALKING TO HER WHEN SHE GOT HER, WE'RE GONNA GET HER, AND I SUGGEST YOU STAY OUT OF OUR WAY ! "

" Woah ! Whoah ! Woah ! Whoah ! " Exclaimed Marcus. " You, aren't going anywhere."

The man was beet red, he was so enraged he looked like he was going to explode and take the island with him, leaving nothing but a giant steaming crater.

" SPEAK AGAIN ROMAN... AND IT'll BE MY PLEASURE TO DECAPITATE YOUR TINY TANNED HEAD ! "

Marcus flinched, for a Roman who was taught the art of war, combat and honour, it was hard for him to avoid drawing his sword right this second and make the man pay for the insult. But he admirably kept his rage chained up.

Hiccup, intervened. " At least _his_ head is full...But in all seriousness though, we must ask you to leave."

" WHY IS THAT ? SHRIMP ?! "

" Because we can't allow you to simply walk fifty tons of brainless brawn armed with battle-axes onto our island."

" WHY YOU- ! "

Hiccup simply held up a hand, somehow interrupting the stupefied Viking, confused that he was interrupted by the toothpick of a boy. " No, really, you should leave. I never had many friends, but it turns out I know how to pick the best ones. "

The Viking leader snapped, as expected. It was inevitable. The man's battle-axe tore through the air in an attempt to decapitate Hiccup while accompanied by a ferocious battle-cry, but the small teenager dodged nimbly.

At that moment, a purple plasma bolt followed by a fire-ball and six poisonous nadder spikes shot out from the tree-line.

Both explosive projectiles hit the ground near the Vikings as planned, throwing up sand with a deafening explosion for each. The spikes, impacted with thighs, shields, bums and arms, causing four howls of pain to fill the air in the following seconds.

Chaos ensued.

The Vikings, didn't linger long. Upon hearing the monstrous roar of the undetectable night fury as well as witnessing the incoming fire-power from the tree-line they turned and ran as fast as their buff legs could carry them, carrying their paralysed ( by fear ) or wounded friends with them. Battle-axes and shield were dropped in their wake, in the hope of a faster escape.

The chief, quickly realized his total loss of control over the situation and reluctantly ran after his men, shouting : " TO THE BOATS ! "

Soon enough, the beach was clear and the Vikings were sailing off as fast as the wind permitted.

" I have never seen grown men run away so fast in my life..." Exclaimed Marcus, buckling with uncontrollable laughter.

" I didn't know these people could reach such high notes, some of those scream were so high-pitched..." Added Hiccup, chuckling through the helmet.

The dragons walked out from the tree-line up to the two teenagers.

" **That was fun !** " Concluded Toothless.

" **I suppose a bit of target practise couldn't hurt...** " Conceded Jitters.

Marcus, recovered from his fit of mirth, and lost his smile. He soberly stated : " Right...We should get back to the clearing...To be honest, I'm not sure how Lu would react to the woman's sudden appearance. "

" With a bit of luck she didn't stab our guest." Chuckled Hiccup. And with that, the two humans climbed on their friend's backs, and the two pairs shot up into the air.

* * *

 **(1) A terrible Viking practise, it's a ritualistic execution consisting in severing the ribs from the spine and pulling the two parts of one's back in order to form wing-like shapes.**

 **I hope you enjoyed, and that your keyboard isn't covered in vomit after reader what's above.**

 **Please let me know how bad the chapter was by leaving a review !**


	12. Chapter 12

**Again, sorry for my tardiness but once you start accumulating delay it just keeps stockpiling.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to introduce the new character as well as give you an insight as to who she really is. It's purely to make the story progress.**

 **I hope you enjoy !**

 **Rant over !**

* * *

When Toothless, Jitters, Marcus and Hiccup reached the clearing, they found a rather heated situation. The Viking woman, was sitting on her knees on the leaf-covered ground between the two houses, she looked pale and terrified with eyes larger than a saucepan. Lucia, stood over the woman and held her trusty knife (which she usually kept hidden in her right boot) down in the woman's direction.

To explain the situation to you, the Viking healer had barged into the clearing asking for help, Lucia, not knowing what to make of it all, decided to keep the Viking at knife-point until her brother and Hiccup returned to confirm the woman's story. The Viking, accepted reluctantly ( not that she had much of a choice ), but paled considerably when the faint and distant echoes explosions and a night fury's roar filled the air. She tried to convince Lucia that they should flee, hide and pray for the best, but the young Roman woman knew better.

Needless to say that when the flying pair landed with a ' _Whoosh !_ ', throwing up pine needles from the ground with the beats of wings, the Viking healer was overrun by panic. Not only was there the sight of the night fury but also the two teenagers saddled on the dragons' back.

Anyone else, would have fainted due to the shock. But she was Viking woman, hence she merely resorted to stare in utter shock. Paralysed by terror and panic.

The two teenagers dismounted.

" We took care of your friends..." Said Hiccup. " They're gonna have one heck of a story to tell."

" H-Wha- ? T-t-.. " Was all the healer could manage.

" Alright...Let's start by something simple..." Reassured Lucia, lowering the knife but not putting it away. "...What's your name ? "

" Q-Qwynel..." Stuttered the woman.

" Lucia." She answered, slightly bowing her head.

And so they introduced themselves, including the dragons, who stood a certain distance away from the Viking. Eventually, Septimus came running into the clearing from the forest, filled with relief, he was out of breath and covered in mud as usual, but this time he had run back out of fear. He had heard the explosions, the roar, as well as the din of yells from the retreating Vikings.

It took a while, but when the woman regained her self control, but all she did was sit there and slowly shake her head with a disgust at Marcus who was scratching Jitters' neck, getting a purr of pleasure and appreciation in response.

" How could you ? Betray your own kind for a dragon..." Slurred Qwynel.

" I didn't betray anyone, I opened my eyes and saw the truth, something you should do someday..." Answered the Roman.

" I can't expect much more from Roman filth. They're so treacherous they'd betray their own species. Vikings would never sink so low." Spat the woman. To be entirely honest with you, Qwynel, was actually a rather cultivated and pleasant woman.

She knew how to read and write, and was obviously highly educated in the arts of healing, asides for that, she was naturally kind and her age granted her considerable wisdom. But you and I cannot blame her for spiting out such atrocities like a mouthful of rotten fish. For let us not forget that she was after all of a Viking upbringing. That means she has been conditioned early on to despise dragons as well as most foreigners, especially Romans.

Nevertheless, if her wisdom and logical mind could pierce the blinding veil of lies and prejudice left behind by poisoned culture, she may be allowed to see the truth. The truth, which in this case goes against the popular saying : ' The ugly truth '.

It was at that moment, that Hiccup stepped into the picture. He was silently unsaddling Toothless while listening to the conversation between the young Roman warrior and Viking healer until the sour words reached his ears. At this point, he figured it'd be best for all, especially Qwynel if he proved her wrong. So, he decided to absolutely crush her argument to dust :

" Actually I do believe Vikings _can't_ sink much lower...It looks like they've reached rock bottom." Pointed out the frail lad.

" Says the one who traded his soul to master the night fury..." Retorted Qwynel.

Hiccup smiled kindly. " Oh I don't master him...We trust each other, it's different." Toothless growled shortly to reinforce his human's point. " But I find dragons have more heart and honour than most Vikings."

" You wouldn't know..."

" Actually I know better than anyone..." Said Hiccup sadly, scratching the back of his head while staring down at the saddle, hanging limply in his left hand. " I was a Viking once... but I was the disgrace of the tribe" He sighed ". Even the chief, my own father thought of me as a curse because of all... _This_...Turns out the only comforting and loving person who kept me going was a dragon." The ex-Viking locked eyes with Toothless and slipped a hand behind his ear flaps for a scratch. The fury, answered with a loving ad comforting croon.

" And you know the best part ? " He said in a more jovial tone, looking up to meet the Qwynel's eyes. He smiled. " Turns out, the ones who helped you escape from your own tribe were dragons."

Qwynel couldn't answer. A tense silence followed, accentuated by a well-timed breeze that ruffled the longest sets of hair.

" Maybe we should eat ? " Coughed Septimus, severing the tense situation in half. He always knew how to break the ice or finish an uncomfortable silence.

They all agreed and went inside the Romans' abode. The only house on the island with a big enough main room to fit everyone in, dragons can take up a lot of room during dinner-time...

* * *

And so they ate. They discussed many things, including what they would do with the shields and weapons left behind on the beach by the recent intrusion, they decided the best course of action would be to melt the equipment for raw materials for later potential use. Of course, Qwynel stayed her tongue during these conversations, but she ate and drank avidly, she felt like an unwanted prisoner, an unpleasant guest that couldn't be sent off.

And although her upbringing dictated to despise the Drekians ( dragons or humans ), she couldn't bring herself to hate them. For as the afternoon was born and the sun commenced the descending phase of it's cycle, she observed and listened to the Drekians, laughing, talking, teasing, debating, hugging, scratching behind the ears, crooning and enjoying good food as the fruit of a long day's work. They were happy, kind, and had risked a lot for _her_ life.

Qwynel could only draw the conclusion that these were good people, regardless of species. This, of course, took about an hour of discussing and convincing from Hiccup. The proof was undeniable, before her very eyes Qwynel witnessed the young ex-Viking who was threatening to scratch the night fury on his nerve situated on his neck to knock him unconscious if he didn't stop repeatedly licking him on the cheek every time he attempted to take a bite out of his serving of boar meat.

And on the other side of the table was the Roman boy, attempting too surpass the nadder in a breath-holding competition. And although he was defeated fourteen times already, Marcus wasn't close to giving up.

It was truly captivating for Qwynel, she hadn't witnessed anything of the sort for a long time : One happy family, all together in an unmeasurable amount of joy. She had never been in a situation of the kind since...Well since she was a little girl with her own family.

Qwynel softened as the hour passed, and everyone moved from the table to sit on the floor around the fire-pit in the centre of the room. The dragon riders sat up against their respective dragons, who lay relaxed, curling their tails around their riders in a manner where the tips of the tails would rest on the floor just before their snouts. Jitters' tail of course, was relentlessly active, twitching every now and again against the dragon's conscious will.

The fire didn't burn, in fact in was more of a warm, red bed of embers, radiating heat up towards the wooden beamed ceiling. The conversation steered to people's origins, the Romans described to Qwynel their story, as did Hiccup, explaining the details like the loss of Toothless' tail-fin, ect...

Qwynel had remembered the markings on the ex-Viking's armour, on the larger left shoulder-pad, was the curled-up red painted insignia for the dragon strike class. A sharp contrast with the general black taint of the armour. She had paid no attention to it on the beach, for she was to drowned in her panic to pay any heed, but now that the boy's story was unfolded before her, everything clicked into place.

But it wasn't only that, which clicked into place. After the sharing of stories Qwynel suddenly understood the true nature of the dragons, and when she observed the beasts, who lay curled lovingly and protectively around their riders, she believed it. All of it.

One look into the toxic green eyes of the night-fury was enough to make you feel tiny, insignificant. There was something noble about the dragon, something that all humans could learn from. He hadn't judged anyone by their appearance, especially not Hiccup. This dragon, saw the potential and suffering that Vikings did not. And whatever thought crossed the healer's mind, she could not help but feel that the night fury, although younger, was far nobler, honourable and wise than she will ever be.

She was reluctant at first to share her own life story. But a quick logical process from her mind told Qwynel that it would make no difference to her fate on the long run, besides, she didn't mind making conversation with the drekians.

She was born amongst the Skylo, east of Dreki and a couple of degrees south of the uninhabited island of Bored-To-Death. Similar to any other Viking island or tribe, they had their dragon problems too. Qwynel's mother was a healer, who, ironically died from the very disease she was treating during an epidemic. But Qwynel followed in her footsteps and became the town healer nevertheless. At the age of seventeen, she was married off by her father to a man twice her age who drunk himself to death merely a year into their tumultuous marriage.

Her only son, died in a duel at the mere age of sixteen, his head was split open like a water-melon by the chief's son's axe. She noted, with no small degree of sadness, that her son was " a fool, like his father...". Her son's death in a duel against the heir to the Skylo was obviously an argument used against her by the chief of said tribe: When the heir succumbed to sickness, Qwynel was blamed under the pretext she poisoned the boy out of revenge for her son. And although the healer kept assuring the drekians she hadn't done so, they could not stop themselves from thinking throughout the evening of just how much sense it made.

Hence she escaped at night, the very night her people had planned to capture her in her sleep and execute her by means of the blood-eagle. The healer had sneaked away to the docks and stole a fishing boat, but her tribe went after her. And as she already stated on the beach earlier that day, she sailed for two whole days without stopping. That is until she reached Dreki.

* * *

When night drew close the Drekians and their guest were stiff as iron from sitting around the fire all afternoon. Hiccup and Toothless bid the others goodnight before returning to their abode for the night. Qwynel, was offered Marcus' bedroom, for that night he would sleep downstairs with the restless dragon.

The older woman accepted graciously and headed upstairs for some well deserved sleep. Septimus and his older sister returned to their respective bedrooms and the entire island fell silent as darkness overtook it.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed, tell me what you think !**

 **Rant over**


	13. Chapter 13

**Another chapter, sorry I took so long to write it, although it's length is proportional to the time it took to produce it so please don't hate me for that. Additionally, I'd like to say that no, Hiccup will not accumulate allies one by one...That would make the story embarrassingly long and boring. Indeed in a couple of chapters things will _really_ start to get interesting and will mark the beginning of a new age. **

**I hope you won't mind, but I may have changed some morphological aspects of some dragons : Their colour schemes and patterns on their scales will help indicate their gender.**

 **I also hope you enjoy.**

 **Rant over.**

* * *

The next few days were a curious experience for Qwynel. Well, more troubling really : Her entire life since the death of her mother has unfolded in a series of sharp and cold disappointments. In her younger years she had dreamt of founding a large, happy family with a loving husband and several children who would grow up to do great things for the tribe. They would have been able to get through anything, disease, winter...Anything, because they would have had each other, they would have been family. It was essentially the dream that all who have little ambition have.

But the truth was, Qwynel had always only had herself. She was never granted this normal wish.

When her mother left this world her father became absent, depressingly passive. Then she was married off to a drunk idiot, who was never home, needless to say he was far from supportive, especially in his death. Her only child was a fool, who got into trouble which eventually killed him, chipping a dent in her mental stability in the process. So, she had to plough through the hardships and hazards of life alone, with no one to listen to her nor encourage her. She had had to cope for everything that came her way, she bottled everything up and simply resisted.

Everyone snaps at one point, she knew than better than anyone. As wise as she was, she had seen many of her patients break like the thinnest of twigs. Personally, she didn't want to see the day when _she_ would be the one loose it.

Hence, the next four days were spent in deep thought. She realized that she had been absolutely odious and unbearable when she first met the Drekians. They were good people, she knew that. So she had tried to make it up to them, she set aside her prejudice and preconceptions and grew warmer every day. Every evening, they heartily ate around the Romans' table until darkness took over the island.

Before long, Qwynel realized that two options were presented to her. She could leave, travel the archipelago as lone wanderer, if only to be swallowed with her tiny boat by the sea or have her throat torn open for the little gold she had as well as the bounty probably set on her head by now. Or, she could stay here on Dreki, supposing the current inhabitants accept her. She could collect herbs, heal others, grow a garden. But most importantly she would quench the dry thirst for supportive peers.

It all seemed so full of hope, something she hadn't tasted since she was a little girl.

* * *

The sun hung barely over the horizon, the air grew colder by the minute, darkness crept up on the remaining shades of light as the shadows grew long. But inside the Romans' house, all was warm and joyful, the hearth was red with embers and the candles flickered as fast as Jitters' tail twitched.

The Drekians and the Viking woman were set around the grand wooden tale, as usual. Traces of finished meals littered the surface of stained, rectangular wooden plates. The conversation steered here and there, nothing truly significant until it led up to this :

Marcus shook his finger towards his younger brother " Nah Sep...The best peas are _fried_ not boiled..."

" What about leeks, those can be quite tasty if you prepare them well." Interrupted Lucia.

" I know you can't be picky, but leeks have never been my favourite..." Added Hiccup grimacing.

" I've always wanted to have my own vegetable garden..." Said Qwynel mournfully . " I'd spend my afternoons growing things...Cabbage, pumpkins, leeks, peas..."

" Why didn't you ? " Asked Septimus, cocking his head.

Qwynel sighed and fiddled with her knife, which rested by her plate on the table. " I suppose I never really had the motivation, or the land to do it come to think of it..." She chuckled, then took a deep breath in before looking up and scanning the Drekian faces surrounding her, both human and dragon. The light of the candles danced across her face, revealing dark creases drawing black lines converging towards the corners of her eyes and mouth.

She spoke slowly and calmly " I don't know what'll happen once I get back into that tiny boat I came in and leave...But I'm pretty sure it's not going to be anything good..." The smiles on the Drekians' faces faded, they all sensed the importance of the words to come. " I've said terrible things at first...And for that I'm terribly sorry."

Hiccup interrupted. " L-Look, as we've said before, you don't have to apologise, it was a normal reaction and-..."

" -I know, but nevertheless...I should have stayed my tongue...But what I really am trying to say is...: I'm not getting any younger, and I really want to grow that vegetable garden..." She chuckled "so...My question is : Would you happen to need a healer here on Dreki ? "

It took a while for the words to register in everyone's minds. To be frank, no one expected a Viking to even to want _think_ about dragons and humans living together. In fact, the Drekians thought Qwynel was being pleasant simply because she was more or less stranded here. She could always have left, but to go where ?

All the Drekians assumed the healer's stay to be temporary. But there she was, inquiring whether or not she could settle here with them. Needless to say it came as quite a shock.

Hiccup smiled, he was the first to speak up : " Well I suppose I need _someone_ to bandage up my fingers when I hit them with a hammer, or burn myself when I'm working in the forge."

" You're a smithy ? " Asked Qwynel puzzled.

Marcus exclaimed. " Ha ! And a damn good one too ! I'll show you his workspace tomorrow, it'll _blow_ your mind. And yes, you're very welcome to live here with us."

Qwynel smiled.

" **That means we're gonna have to build another house...Doesn't it ?** " Snorted Toothless.

" **Yup...** " Sighed Jitters.

* * *

You guessed it ! Another house was built. Much like Toothless and Hiccup's, the house was rectangular and only had one level. It was built in the traditional Viking fashion, entirely out of wood and split up in three rooms. Qwynel had insisted on not having anything to extravagant. A wood cabin would have satisfied her but with dragons helping, it really didn't take that long, only a week actually.

Like the other houses, it was equipped with large and thick dark wooden front door. All the furniture was carved out by Lucia, who got better and better at carving every day. Some of the furniture she produced started bearing simple designs like decorative lines or simplistic engravings. She really did get better and better at what she did.

Behind Qwynel's house ( which stood right to the Romans') was a small fenced off area. A back door connected this little vegetable garden to the small building. From the moment it was constructed, the healer planted herbs, vegetables and many more plants. Seeds were bought during Hiccup's weekly trip to Dànor and the woman spent her entire afternoons trimming, cutting, planting, ect...And simply enjoying the fresh air and well deserved peace.

And it is my great joy to share with you, that the now ageing Viking did indeed find what she was looking for. She did indeed feel satisfied and complete.

* * *

Autumn declared it's arrival, leaves and pine needles littered the ground and the air got fresher every day. One of those particular days, or rather evenings. Septimus came back from his daily expedition in his usual state : Covered in mud and trailing fireflies while wearing a satisfied grin only an eleven year-old boy could possibly wear.

But one thing he didn't know was that he was being trailed by rather mischievous creature. This creature, as small as it was, was a creature feared by many of strongest Vikings. It was a dragon, as fierce as any other, definitely not to be judged by it's size.

Marcus and Hiccup were chopping firewood out by the latter's own house. To be entirely honest, they were talking while Marcus was chopping and Hiccup was feebly _attempting_ to lift his axe. They interrupted their tedious process to observe the younger boy jogging into the clearing, panting.

" So, what have you been up too today ? " Asked Marcus, leaning on his axe.

Septimus halted before the teenagers and took a couple of seconds to regain his breath. " I've been to the Dagger Rocks " He pointed towards the general direction. " There's a nest of seagulls now, wasn't there two days ago-... "

" SSHH ! " Hiccup interrupted suddenly. He slowly pointed back towards the pine tree-line with a shaky hand. Septimus swivelled around to look towards where Hiccup was pointing, there he found a little green head, the size of a closed fist, disappear behind a tree trunk.

" What is it ? " Whispered Marcus, a hand on the handle of his gladius at his belt.

" Terrible terror...Behind that tree." Responded Hiccup, before shooting towards the Romans' house. The two brothers followed as Hiccup hastily opened their front door and stormed clumsily into the living room. At the grand wooden table which seemed to dominate the room sat Lucia and Qwynel, the former carving a statuette of wood and the latter writing down on a piece of parchment ( bought on Dànor ) the medical properties of multiple herbs.

" What's up ? " " What might be the matter ? " Asked both women in unison, both wearing a frown of confusion and anxiousness at Hiccup's obviously panicky actions. The said boy ran towards the kitchen, dodging stools ( as in the furniture ) and tripping over his own feet. He only spent the time to spare a few words before disappearing into the kitchen.

" Terrible terror..." He disappeared into the kitchen, then a couple of seconds later barged out of the room again towards the front door holding a fish in his hands. "...In the forest, sorry I'm taking this I don't have any myself-..." But his accelerated speech was interrupted when he tripped over a stool and sprawled out on the floor with a yelp of surprise.

Qwynel was the first to react, suddenly standing, causing the chair to tip backwards while shouting " DRAGON ?! ". Old habits die hard it seems.

As for the Romans, they just stared with with no little amount of amusement as Hiccup quickly scrambled up to his feet and took of again, opening the rather heavy wooden front door with ram of the shoulder and an " OOFF ! "

They all ran after him, they gathered outside to see him further away, approaching the tree-line in a slower, stealthier manner. He had his legs slightly flexed, ready to spring into action if needed. He steadied his nervous panting and held out the fish towards the tree which he knew was hiding the small dragon. The boy's fur boots rustled upon the pine needle covered ground along with the actual pine trees bending slightly in the wind.

Hiccup, stopped a metre away from the grand pine and crouched. He knew the terror was hiding just behind the trunk, that it was simply to afraid to show itself. The boy smiled internally, it was shy. But at that moment the branches above him shook, pine needles fell to the ground or into Hiccup's hair. The boy froze, and slowly tilted his head upwards to find a green and blue terrible terror staring down at him. Both of them froze and held their breaths.

Further off, the other Drekians were immobile, anxious not to trouble the ongoing process of gaining the dragon's trust. Unfortunately, one of them, had not seen Hiccup at work before, and was confused if not exaggeratedly worried. Indeed, Qwynel could not comprehend how any of this could possibly be a good idea.

" Shouldn't we have Toothless and Jitters around ? Just in case ...? " She whispered to Marcus, who, like the others, was silently observing the scene with a slight but existent sense of admiration.

" Shhh...They're out fishing, don't worry...It's going to be fine. Watch...This is where the magic starts."

Qwynel merely frowned and turned back to observe the happenings. The silence, was remarkable, other than the ambient sound of the forest, nothing broke the thick silence hanging like a veil over the clearing.

Hiccup stared back at the dragon, their eyes had been locked for a while now, but none had moved a finger. The Terror's chest expanded and contracted in a rapid yet barely noticeable manner, causing the branch he was clinging to to shake slightly. The auburn haired boy on the other hand, controlled his deep and slow breathing. He forced himself into a sense of calm control, granting him an improved rule over his decisions and actions, usually sabotaged by clumsiness and nervousness.

It was the ex-Viking who made the first move : He settled down from a crouching position to a cross-legged sitting position in the slowest manner possible, without any sudden movements, ere the dragon disappear in the blink of an eye like a vision which never existed.

So there Hiccup sat, with the fish resting on his crossed legs, pursing his lips and wondering what on earth to do next. Thankfully, the dragon took the opportunity into her own hands, she leaped from the branch, causing it to spring back and forth for the next ten seconds or so, and landed lightly and noiselessly on the soft, needle-covered ground. She crept slowly towards the sitting boy, her belly nearly touching the ground, she eyed him suspiciously as she neared in an agonizingly slow manner while liking her eyeball every now and again.

This terrible terror was rather colourful, truth be told. She was a curious combination of green and blue : The entire upper part of her body was a light green, found on most of her kind. But the lower part of her body, including the paws, was a deep ocean blue. The two colours melted into each-other in a beautifully harmonious way, a dark red streak ran from below her chin down her throat to between her front paws, immediately indicating Hiccup of the reptile's gender.

She kept nearing the boy, closer and closer, until she stopped. She had gotten too close and prudence told the dragon to freeze, which she did. She merely observed the frail boy before her in silence. Time seemed to stop, neither of them daring to move, for fear of jeopardizing the entire happening. Anything else around them faded away as both concentrated on each-other, trying to read one-another's minds or thoughts.

Hiccup's entire body was tense, though he did not notice it. He reached for the fish resting on his crossed legs and slowly set it down on the ground just before him before resting his hands on his knees. And that my friends, is when the magic truly started :

The dragon peered at the fish, curiously cocking her head in confusion, she didn't understand why this human wouldn't attack her, and she was even more confused now that he offered her fish. She looked up to observe the boy's face, hoping to find some answers. Find some answers she did. Their eyes met, yet again, but this time the dragon found a message in the human's eyes. It was a message of simple meaning yet incredibly complex, in those emerald eyes was the boy's history : His pain , his suffering, his sorrow. Then there was relief, followed by joy, that did nothing but grow from there, that joy was completed by a note of hope. But the terror saw that there was a dent in this creature's history, a dent caused by an event, which rooted a powerful insecurity, a fear, one that existed over the ones he had possessed all his life. One that sometimes kept him up at night.

But what really turned the dragon's world upside down, was what she _really_ saw in those eyes. It was the will to trust, to take a leap of faith, like so many others before that have all paid off. She saw the possibility of peace.

From Hiccup's perspective, all he could see at first in those bright yellow eyes of the terror was uncertainty. Uncertainty, quickly overtaken by confusion and thoughtfulness. But the last thing he saw, the thing that made him smile, was trust, characterized by that look produced by anyone about to make a leap of faith. Indeed, his smile drew itself across his face from ear to before the eye-contact with the dragon was broken by the fact said dragon threw herself on the fish lying before Hiccup. She made quick work of it, swallowing her food in merely two bites before leaping on Hiccup.

The boy fell backwards with a yelp of surprise and found himself lying on his back with the terrible terror standing on his chest licking her eyes and cocking her head. The dragon eventually leapt off him and the boy got back up to his feet. He straightened his green tunic and brushed free of pine needles.

The other Drekians, who had been observing with smiles of wonder until now, approached slowly. Qwynel, was a little more hesitant, she knew how much damage these creatures could do, and she feared it more than anything else. But she fought her fear, she walked alongside the Romans, albeit full of terror, but she hid it well as she contradicted a lifetime of Viking indoctrination.

The green and blue dragon though, seemed to be rather curious at the now approaching humans. Since her extremely recent interaction with Hiccup, cautiousness was tossed to the wind. She approached, walking erratically in zigzag patterns, stopping every so often to lick her eye-balls and consider the strangers. Hiccup, walked slowly behind, still picking needles stuck between the threads of his tunic one by one.

When the terror reached the other Drekians they stopped, and peered down with curiosity and excitement. The dragon, approached Septimus, sniffed one of his leather boots before grabbing onto his leg. The young boy tensed to the dragons grip, but stayed still as the terror climbed up his leg, across his chest and all the way up his shoulder before resting there. The poor boy was as still as a statue, and he was as rigid as one too. His head was orientated straight ahead but his eyes were turned at an awkward angle in order to see the dragon perched on his shoulder.

The dragon stared back for a moment before sniffing and nuzzling the boy's neck, blowing down his tunic in the process. All observing the scene would agree in the fact that within the next half second...It seemed the dragon's mouth curled into what seemed like a mischievous smile and a curious glint shined in the terror's eyes. Half a second later, she nipped the skin of the boy's neck, only slightly pinching the skin, before nimbly leaping from the bony shoulder to the hair-covered hair.

" Aaiiee ! "

Septimus' hand shot to his neck, performing a rubbing motion. The terror, now balancing on his head, was laughing a high pitched, squawk-like laugh.

" What was that for ?! " Whined the boy, bending his eyes upwards in an attempt to see the dragon perched atop his skull.

" Looks like he likes you." Chuckled Lucia, with crossed arms.

" He's a mischievous little on ain't he ?" Noted Qwynel.

" ' _She'_...It's a 'she'..." Noted Hiccup, a content smile drawn across his face as large as the horizon itself. " It's the red mark down along her throat...It's an indicator..." He justified somewhat more nervously while gesturing to his throat.

Marcus, smiled at his friend's embarrassment and cleared his throat before speaking, only reinforcing the omnipresent awkwardness " *Ahem* Right... Well... What should we call her ? "

Hiccup shifted his weight from leg to leg restlessly and scratched the back of his head. " Well...W-We can't...I mean...She might not want to stay..."

" She can stay if she wants... " Giggled Septimus due to the terror's comical and exploratory prodding of the boy's short hair with her paws. "... In the meantime I'm gonna call her ' Blues ' "

" 'Blues' ? " Inquired Lucia.

" So what ? " Responded Septimus.

Lucia unfolded her arms and adopted a nonchalant tone. " It fits I guess... I mean she _is_ partly blue..."

" If the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself is called 'Toothless' then I think 'Blues' is a pretty decent name." Argued Septimus. And that ended the debate. So the Drekians and Blues went back inside the Romans' house, to eat but also to discover just how much such a little dragon can eat of her new friend's dinner.

* * *

 **Tadaaaa ! New dragon ! Hope you like her. Tell me about it by leaving a review it'd be much appreciated !**

 **Rant over !**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hullo ! Another chapter, this one is a relatively unimportant one. But then again that's a lie, because it's here to show you what a daily day on Dreki is, but also for you to get familiar with the characters.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

 **Rant over.**

* * *

" Hey ! Wait up ! " Yelled Septimus as he shot after Blues, who was fluttering at full speed, zigzagging between pine trees. Septimus, ran as fast he could, giggling as he jumped over roots, boulders and streams. The luscious forest covering Dreki like fur would a living animal was dense and complex. It offered a whole myriad of obstacles making it _that_ much harder to sprint through. But Septimus had been wandering these woods for quite some time now, and had become well-versed in the intricacies of scouting and travelling through forests .

So, the young boy skipped, jumped, leaped, ducked under branches and over boulders. The thrill of the chase flooded his blood with adrenaline, he was getting closer to the dragon. Dragon, who was now nimbly zipping around, equally dodging obstacles of the natural sort. Her little wings fluttered wildly in an attempt to accelerate. Blues was enjoying the game as much as the Roman boy, and hadn't had that much fun since she was a hatchling. Which, to be honest, wasn't that long ago.

The morning sun struggled to pierce the green roof of the forest with it's rays of light. Golden pillars shone down in places from holes in the green roof down to the soft, leaf-coloured ground.

Septimus wasn't far from Blues now, merely an arm's length. To that he smiled through his pants for air. But when he noticed a rather large approaching boulder, he didn't stop. On the contrary, in a split second he planned his move. The moment after that, he set a foot upon it and leapt across the void, dangerously formed by the sharp drop following said rock boulder. At that moment, the mischievous little terrible terror flared it's small wings and performed a perfect loop, effectively changing direction to the opposite one she was heading.

Septimus' mind panicked. The sickening feeling of a fall surged up his body to his stomach. The terrible sensation of accumulating velocity, not sensing ground when there should be. This was,'t part of the plan. His mind went into over-drive. The unfortunate boy remembered in mid-air exactly where they were in the woods of Dreki, they were in fact, by the small lake where they had met Jitters, not so long ago. He also remembered the boulder he just leapt off, happened to overlook said lake, lake that he was about to land in.

" AAAaaaahhh ! " Yelled the boy, flailing his arms during the whole three metres of his fall before penetrating the water with a thunderous " _Splouusshhh !_ ". The first feeling he felt was cold, terrible, icy, cold. Pricking his skin like a thousand-and-one daggers. Limbs went numb, muscle contracted, eyes clenched shut. Bubbles rose to the surface with him before his head emerged, splashing water everywhere as he loudly inhaled, opening his mouth as wide as a cave into the air.

He rubbed the water from his eyes and looked up to the damned boulder, where Blues remained perched, looking down at the rather wet and angry Roman with a smug look on her face.

" I. Hate. You. " Gasped Septimus with trembling blue lips and flat wet hair. Blues merely chuckled a terror's chuckle and shrugged.

* * *

The noon sun floated high above the Romans' house in which Lucia, Hiccup and Qwynel prepared the midday meal, composed of meat, peas and nuts. They were all set down on stools around the grand wooden table in the living room, all but Hiccup, who was setting the table. Each one was doing their part for a most welcome meal to come.

" Told you peas'll be nice. " Noted Lucia, mock-punching Hiccup in the shoulder. The boy merely grumbled in response, and resumed setting the table with plates and knives ( They didn't have forks at the time, they'd use knife and fingers ).

" Where's Marcus ? " Inquired Qwynel. She sighed " He forgot to change the bandage around his shoulder this morning, even though I told him...Boy never listens..." She wiped her carving knife on a piece of cloth, mumbling the last part of her sentence .

" I don't blame him. " Answered Lucia, interrupting her meat cutting in order to smile cheekily at the older woman.

Qwynel faked indignation, brandishing the knife up into thin air : " Why you-...Have some respect for your elders young lady ! "

Hiccup couldn't help but muffle a laugh.

" And you too ! " She jabbed in Hiccup's direction before resuming her cutting regular.

Lucia resumed her preparing of the deer meat. " But to answer your question, I think he went flying with Jitters, they'll be back when they get hungry, which'll be anytime soon..."

Hiccup had finished setting the plates, he sat himself down on a stool and rested his head on a hand. " I can't believe it happened though...I mean what were the odds ? " He said, shaking his head slowly in disbelief.

" You know, no one actually told me what happened _exactly_...I mean, Jitters accidentally shot Marcus, I know that much, but what did happen ? " Inquired Qwynel, getting up and serving a serving of peas on every plate.

Hiccup scoffed :" You don't know ?" He straightened himself, lifting his head from his hand. " Well, that night me and Marcus were talking about flight tricks by the fire and errr... Blues didn't know about Jitter's little uh... _Waking up problems_...And well, she thought it would be funny to scare him awake as a prank."

" Mhh...That bodes well...And ? "

" And, Marcus was standing at other end of the room so..."

" The spike flew across the room into his shoulder ? " Asked Qwynel incredulously, raising a doubtful eyebrow.

Hiccup pursed his lips and nodded.

" You have to be cursed to be _that_ unlucky..." Chuckled Lucia." I was in my room, the only thing I heard was a scream louder that Jupiter himself. "

" It wasn't that bad when I treated it..." Said Qwynel, rolling her eyes.

" It looked painful." Noted Hiccup.

" Boy's supposed to be a warrior, a soldier for Odin's sake ! And yet there he was ! Crying like a little girl when I yanked it out. And now he's out flying again ! Reckless boy..."

" Actually, nadder venom amplifies pain." Noted Hiccup, holding up a correcting finger.

" Oh does it now ? I'll keep that in mind next time you're disrespectful."

Hiccup whimpered.

At that moment, the front door creaked open and in stumbled a pale, shivering, wet Septimus. His clothes and hair drooped towards the floor and dripped water onto the wooden floor-boards. His shivering lips were as blue as the terrible terror who was contently perched atop the boy's head, wearing a face suggesting she just achieved something spectacular.

Lucia's eyes grew to the size of saucepans when she saw her younger brother. " Gods above ! What happened to you ? "

Hiccup and Qwynel failed to hide a smile of amusement.

" B-Blue m-made me fall into a lake."

The dragon in question's smile grew ever bigger. She straightened herself and made herself taller from the perch she stood on, looking rather majestic if it weren't for the cheeky smile slicing her face in half. Lucia shook her head in exasperation, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Qwynel chuckled warmly and said : " You better change your clothes boy, ere you catch your death ! " Septimus, who was clutching his shivering body, nodded and trotted towards the stairs and up to his room. Leaving a dark trail of wet footprints on the floor-boards.

Blue, had leapt from the boy's head and landed onto the table noiselessly, before curling up and resting besides the radiating warm pot of boiled peas set in the middle. At that moment, the front door nudged open and in strolled Toothless, carrying a bag of fish in his mouth. It was not uncommon for the dragon to bring a cloth bag with him whenever he'd go fish by the beach, it was one of the few human inventions he praised other than his prosthetic. As anyone would, he deemed it more practical to use a bag to transport the catch, rather than carry the fish back one by one.

" Hey Toothless." Greeted Lucia.

Toothless nodded to the woman as he walked by the table into the kitchen, accompanied by a sharp exhale through the nostrils meaning : " **Hi.** ". Hiccup got up from his stool and followed the fury into the next room. " Here, I'll help you with putting them in the barrel..." A minute later, they emerged and Hiccup sat back at his stool, with Toothless next to him. It was a fact that the dragons could be comfortably seated on the ground while having their heads at the right level with the table.

Toothless grunted at Blue while the humans made casual conversation amongst themselves :" **So, anything interesting happened this morning ?** "

Blue nodded in a fit of mirth, scraping her back against the warm iron pot. " **You bet ! I tricked Septimus into falling in the lake where you met Jitters !** "

Toothless cocked his head, raising an ear-flap. " **You know humans can die of cold right ? Especially small ones like Hiccup, or young ones like Septimus...** "

Blue instantly fell silent, her smile faded and her eyes turned a sudden bitter colour of regret. Her tail dropped and her head drooped. " **Oh...** "

Toothless blew sharply out of his nostrils. " **Don't worry, Septimus is well fed, and there's a fire here to warm him up, he won't fall sick...** " But then a smile crept up the fury's face. " **Though I kinda wish I was there to see it...** "

The terror regained her joyful attitude " **Believe me when I said you really missed out !** "

" **Missed what ?** " Squawked Jitters, loudly barging through the front door with a knock of the head, followed closely by Marcus, who was holding the unequipped leather saddle used by Jitters. Everyone in the room turned to observe them enter. I must say they looked hungry and rather exhausted.

" **Apparently Blues tricked Sep to fall in a lake.** " Yapped Toothless cheerfully, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

" **In this time of year ?! Brrr ! Must've been cold...Wish I was there to see it though !** " Squawked back the nadder from across the room.

Toothless crooned : " **Same...** "

" Where have you been ?! " Exclaimed Qwynel to Marcus, who was hanging up the leather flight harness on a hook on the door.

The Roman turned to her, confused. " Uh...Flying ? Where else ?"

" You didn't change your bandage this morning did you ?" Reprimanded the older woman, crossly crossing her arms.

" Well, I meant to do it but..." Said Marcus, scratching the back of his head and staring at the ground.

" But ?"

" But it's fine ! Really ! "

" It won't be when it gets infected. Go change the bandage, now."

" But..."

The wise woman brandished a finger " No 'buts' ! "

Marcus huffed and stomped over to the stairs and started climbing them, just at that moment came down Septimus, in dry clothes and hair but still shivering and pale. They exchanged a couple of words as they crossed each other.

" Damn ! What happened to you ? "

" F-Fell in a pond because of Blue."

Marcus let out a snort of laughter. " I'm not even gonna ask how that happened. You better sit by the fire for a while."

* * *

They all sat around the Romans' fire-pit during the later hours of the day, the late season meant an early sundown, and fresher nights. Qwynel sat cross-legged, as everyone else, smoking her long wooden pipe carved by Lucia. The pipe was a light colour, and it's long neck bore a decorative line indented in the wood which twisted around like a vine. The smoke rings blown by the older lady floated upwards lazily, slowly dissolving into the air before they reached the roof.

Blue, lay on Septimus' shoulder with her arrow-shaped tail flowing behind his neck to rest limply on his other shoulder. The young terrible terror seemed utterly hypnotised by the ascending smoke rings, her head was pointed up, with glazed-over eyes observing the fascinating grey formation. The young Roman boy's eyes were lost in the fire like the others, his mind wandered, paced by the rapid beating of the dragon's heart against his neck.

The fire crackled, Hiccup and Marcus both sat up against their dragon brothers, staring silently into the red crackling fire, which lit up the surrounding faces with dancing orange lights. Lucia, sat cross-legged, and wore a dark brown wool blanket wrapped around her, her dark hair was tied into two braids which flowed down her shoulders like twin cascades of black silk. Her dark eyes shone with the reflection of the embers before her.

" You never told us.." Started Qwynel, pulling the pipe from her mouth, turning to Hiccup and speaking slowly, calmly. "...Who that girl was."

Hiccup looked up and frowned " What girl ? "

" A while back, you mentioned a girl whom you...Fancied."

Everyone was trying their best to beat down a smile. Especially Toothless. All but Hiccup, his features turned sombre and his eyes shot to the floor. His heart lurched while his mind drowned in an ocean of unwanted memories. " There was no one..." He said, rather abruptly.

" Of there was..." Chuckled the woman.

" There. Was. No one..."

Qwynel sighed, brought the pipe to her mouth, inhaled, then her lips and the pipe parted and her head bowed backwards before she blew another smoke ring up into the air. She straightened her head and stared at Hiccup, with a more serious expression now. The wrinkles on her face like lines in a mask of wood.

" Look kid, I know you don't like talking about your...your... _Where you come from_...We know it pains ya'..." She paused "But believe when I say it's a lot better to talk about it..." She repeated the smoking process. " Takes a weight of your shoulders..."

" I thought I told you not to call me kid..." Answered Hiccup calmly yet bitterly, staring blankly at the little wood carving of he and Toothless he was fiddling with. The same statuette he got for his birthday . Toothless nuzzled the boy's hair, sensing the brewing storm within his little human's head.

" Well, you should also believe me when I say that I'm not gonna stop calling you 'kid' either..."She mentioned. "So go on...Spill it."

Hiccup pursed his lips and sighed loudly, he set down the statuette besides him and propped himself up against Toothless.

" I've gotten over her...She was a foolish crush. She was essentially everything I wasn't...Strong, Brave, Determined. The perfect Viking." He shook his head slowly, eyes locked in the fire " Somehow it'd hurt more when _she_ despised me...But she was also a hateful dragon murderer, a blind hater who looked down on me like everyone else..." Another pause."I'm nothing like her." He finally spat. Old and unwanted memories rippled through the boy's mind.

" On the contrary, you have all the same qualities as her."

" Oh please ! Me ? Strong ? Determined ? Brave ? Pfff ! You got the wrong guy...sorry..."

" Well, let's see..." Qwynel counted on her bony fingers using the tip of her pipe : "...You approached a night fury, something no man would even think of doing. Now if that's not brave I don't know what it is...Then you spent all you had to get him to fly again, despite the setbacks. And in a _Viking village too_! That's your determination for ya'...And lastly, you lived a lifetime shunned by your peers...That would make anyone snap and go insane... But you endured _._ "

Marcus couldn't help but chortle " I'm afraid it's too late for the insane thing...He's already crazy !" He shook his finger around his temple. " Who in their right minds would approach, let alone _ride_ a dragon...Mhh ? "

" I don't know if I should feel insulted or complimented by that last comment."

" One thing's for sure..." Concluded Qwynel, pointing the tip of her pipe in Hiccup's direction." ...If you lose a bit of that excessive humility of yours, and gain a bit of self-confidence...You'll do some great things you didn't even know you could do. 'When amongst the wolves, your worst enemy is humility'."

Silence hung, ensured by the heavy words just dropped by the wise old lady. Moments later, the room was still invaded by the hanging silence broken only by the crackling of the radiant fire. Eyes glazed over, heads observed the smoke rings and breathing grew slow and heavy.

But the spell was broken by Septimus, who, full of questions by nature, could not retain himself : " Qwynel ? Why did your son get into a duel in the first place ? "

Qwynel snorted, eyes still locked into the flickering red fire. " Because he was a fool..." She spoke slowly, lingering on the last word before slowly exhaling a stream of smoke through her nostrils.

" Yeah but...How did it happen ? "

Qwynel's eyes left the fire to meet Septimus' gaze. She chuckled. " I guess it's my turn then isn't it ?" She blew another smoke ring. " Well...Originally it was about a girl, it always is...Then insults were thrown, then fists..." The woman's eyes were locked into the fire once more, inactive, as if observing the scene once again. She spoke slowly, with a hint of regret, but no sorrow. "Next thing you know he's in a duel. The whole village was watching...His head was split open like a pumpkin..."

" What was his name ? " Asked Lucia, softly.

" Yric... His name was Yric. We were never that close, but still..." She broke her eye-contact with the fire. Discarding the old images and memories to the back of her mind." Ah ! Forget him. I know I will." She took another breath from her pipe before blowing a smoke ring. " Don't cry for the lost, smile for the living... Life's for living, so live it. Or you're better off dead..."

* * *

" NO ! " Yelled Hiccup, suddenly breaking the dark silence that was hanging over the house. Outside, the moon shone brightly above the silent trio of houses below. Toothless, who was curled on his slab besides Hiccup as usual, woke up and lay besides him, wrapping his wings around the panting boy, forming dark cocoon of silent safety. These nightmares happened every so often, and Toothless was always there to comfort his rider. Always there to wrap protective wings around him when he most needed it.

The fury buried his nose in Hiccup's messy auburn hair, Hiccup was calming down now, he could tell : His breaths were more controlled, and he had stopped quivering. But Toothless could tell what nightmare his rider had suffered. For the boy was currently curled up on himself beneath and was grasping at the dragon's scales from beneath his wings. The boy kept a hand on Toothless' chest, to feel the powerful drumming of his heart, to reassure himself that it was just a dream, and that Toothless was still alive. And would be there for him no matter what.

Toothless sighed inwardly. He wished it would all just stop. He wished the past would stop tormenting his human. He wished the boy's mind could be wiped of all scars and burns, he wished it could be fixed, patched up, made clean of all that haunted him to this day. But Toothless knew Hiccup would always fall asleep again, with sweeter dreams hanging over him this time. But he also knew that the boy would wake up again in about a week's time, in the exact same circumstances, and that he would be there for him then.

He always will, even if Hiccup's nightmares dictated the contrary.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed, next chapter really gets the plot going.**

 **Please review, it makes my day !**

 **Rant over !**


	15. Chapter 15

**Voilà ! A new chapter, and a major one in the story I might add...The third most important one so far, if it isn't the next one.**

 **But before we begin...I'd like to say I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but the holiday season was scarce in in terms of free time to write. What with seven-year-old cousins b*gging you all week. Furthermore, this monologue will might be a bit long but I wouldn't have put it there had it not been necessary.**

 **Firstly, I have upped the rating from T to M, because we will be dealing with serious injury, mild amount of gore. Disturbing themes such as slavery ( detailed ) and child abuse ( not detailed, merely mentioned ) as well as a rather questionably large amount of coarse language. In this chap and the next it'll be fine, but after read chap 17 you'll know why I put this here. I'm sorry if this disturbs you, but my intention is to make the story a bit of a roller-coaster. Making the general mood and seriousness of things go up and down repetitively in order to create contrasts. If this makes any sense to you. It probably sounded better in head.**

 **Secondly. If I'm including accents and sterotypes ect... for my characters, it's definitely not to target any ethnicity of minority of any kind of critical or derogatory way. It should be obvious, but if I'm doing that it's entirely to create a comical effect, if not an effect of immersion.**

 **The reason why I'm declaring this now is because the chapter you're about to read contains a character of Gaul origin. Hence I have fashioned him as a modern Frenchman ( Like moi...), that means he's arrogant, pretentious (also like moi...), has a terrible accent ( My accent is fine though ), and asks himself rhetorical questions. So, don't be offended, it'll make your life better. Just have a laugh ok ?**

 **side note : Main characters or ones that will speak alot will not have their speech altered to match their phonetics, for the simple reason that otherwise it would become tedious to read. For example, the Romans, do not have a modern Italian accent because it would simply become annoying to read, but also to write.**

 **it may be a bit late but : Joyeux Noel ! et bonne année !**

 **I'm sorry if this fore-note was too long and I don't blame you if you skipped it. I know I would.**

 **Rant _finally_ over !**

* * *

Winter came, as it always did. Much to Toothless and Hiccup's delight, the world turned white. White from the highest point of Dreki's lone peak to the deepest reaches of it's forest. The ground was covered every morning by the perfect sheets of snow, and the pines too, were painted by the white icing. In consequence, the island grew quieter. The forest's atmosphere evolved from a dynamic and noisy location, buzzing with life, to a silent and peaceful sanctuary, undisturbed by nature's agitations assimilated with any other season.

Like the past year, Hiccup's weekly trading activities on Dànor were interrupted, hence his smithing was now dedicated to creating tools and diverse metal objects for the Drekian's own purposes. Of course, the boy mostly spent his time inside now, away from the cold, working on his wacky and overly-complicated projects that sprouted from his over-active mind. That is, when he wasn't hunting or flying with Toothless.

One could say the Drekians were rather wealthy in terms of food an firewood. In fact, what many would be lacking of in this season the Drekians had in abundance. And the fires and hearths were lit all day long, never were they to go out.

But the arrival of the new season did not interrupt or modify the activities of some. Indeed, Septimus, resumed his daily exploratory excursions with renewed vigour, delighted to see the island transformed. The metamorphosis of the world around him allowed the boy to wander the island under a different... _perspective_ so to say. Nature lost it's dense foliage leaving more to see for curious little boys and mischievous young terrible terrors.

Naturally, Lucia and Marcus had taken precautions and scorned Blues, warning her that any pranks on their younger brother involving freezing water or lakes would result in a terrible cold for the boy and severe consequences for the dragon, _also_ involving freezing water. So, the blue and green terrible terror merely contented herself with dive-bombing Septimus every now and again and dropping packets of dusty snow onto the boy's head. Earning a couple empty insults and mock vows of vengeance.

* * *

It was one particular afternoon, worthy of our attention, that the young Roman and small dragon were, as usual roaming through the white forest. The only sound was that of the boy's boots crunching down on the snow and the occasional gusts of wind. Pushing dusty snow particles off heavily loaded pine branches, drooping under the weight of their thick white blankets.

Blues, who was comfortably set upon Septimus' shoulder. Looked up past the pine-branch roof and dark layer of grey clouds to see the sun, lowering, soon to reach the horizon below the sky despite the cover of clouds. The end of the afternoon was approaching, and that meant a meal, that meant fish, _lots_ and _lots_ of fish. Blue licked her lips in anticipation before jumping from the boy's shoulder into his warm jacket's hood.

Indeed, the Romans living on Dreki had never seen or felt such a cold weather before. This winter being their first on Dreki, or in the Barbaric Archipelago for that matter. Hence, they all wore extra layers, as opposed to the ex-Vikings, who were perfectly accustomed to to an average temperature below zero Celsius. Otherwise known as " _So bloody cold it's freezing yer nuts off !_ ". In this instance, Septimus was wearing a grey wool tunic and thick leather trousers, as well as very warm and brown leather jacket with the insides lined with greyish wool. It didn't stop him from shivering every now and again though.

The pair progressed through the snowy pine forest. Septimus trudged on, snow sunk up to his shins. Though it did not flood into his leather boots, for they were tightly buckled to his legs, hence perfectly sealed.

But just as the pair approached the snow covered path connecting their clearing with the island's only beach, they heard something. Septimus froze, Blue's head shot up from his hood. They waited, both holding their breath in tense moment of absolute silence. They waited for what seemed like an eternity.

More noise.

Voices, distant and indistinct, as well as the sound of footsteps in the snow. It was coming from the path.

Blues left the boy's hood to stand on his shoulder, poised tensely. tightly gripping the bony shoulder through the many layers of cloth and leather. Her eyes and nose scanned the surroundings as Septimus advanced towards the path in a semi-crouched position.

They reached near the source of the sounds. People, many of them. The sound of chains covered the barking of orders. The intruders were following the path to the clearing. The thin boy hid behind the thick trunk of a large pine, mere metres away from where the group of strangers were to pass.

The sounds were getting louder, they were approaching.

The boy peeked from behind the tree with Blues, taking care to only expose half of his face, an eye. The blue and green dragon was perched upon the Roman's head, edgy at the appearance of intruders. Ready to hack at anything that'd approach them. No stranger would even touch the little boy if she had a say in it. Soon enough, the convoy of strangers passed before the pair.

Two columns of about twenty men and women of many different skin colours were driven on by armed men. They looked tired an worn, they were all in ragged and ripped clothes, their feet were protected from the cold icy ground only by rags wrapped around their sore feet. But most noticeably, they were chained up. Their feet were in irons, and their hands cuffed and tied to one of two longer chains. That chain, connected all the members of a column, and was held on each extremity by tough-looking soldiers. The armed men held spears, and were covered by poorly conceived and tattered leather armour.

Every now and again one of the spear-men would prod their prisoners in the back, forcing the poor soul onwards, eliciting a sharp yelp of pain that pierced above the constant rattling of the chains. At the front of the convoy, was a large bald man surrounded by six of his men. His large stature was dressed with a thick fur cape and dark green clothes, his footsteps were heavy on the snowy ground. From his vantage point, Septimus could barely distinguish a black stubble and dark bushy eyebrows. He was strong, if not a giant, but he was no Viking. He came from down south, and held a heavy Gaul accent as he spoke to his second in command :

" You know what to do don't you ? "

His second in command, also a Gaul, was a shorter man. Dressed as the guards were. He looked confused, but daren't look his employer in the eye. " I uh...Do what ? "

The caped leader threw his meaty hands to the sky in exasperation. " URGH ! You don't remembeur anyting I tell you do you ?! " The smaller man whimpered, as the chief sighed loudly. " For ze last time : If zey don't buy any slaves, we take zem too... We need more stock ! Or better stock than this _merde_ at least !"

The second in command gulped and nodded. " Right, got it."

" But don't damage zem when you take zem... We still need to be able to sell zem..."

Septimus' heart skipped a beat, he couldn't hold back a sharp gasp. They were slavers ! All these prisoners were slaves...But the Drekians would never buy slaves, even if they could. These men would try to take them too ! A shiver of terror ran up his spine.

Unfortunately, his gasp didn't go unnoticed, the sharp sound travelled through the air to ears of a rather worn prisoner. Fortunately for the boy and the dragon, it was only that particular prisoner who heard them. The man turned in their direction, towards the sound. He had thick and chaotic dark hair as well as deep yet tired brown eyes, his cheeks were tainted by a dark stubble. The slave's eyes met with the curious sight of the peeking boy and his dragon companion, artfully perched upon her friend's head.

Imagine yourself as that man. Who had come from so far, that for him, dragons were merely the stuff of legend. And yet, there he was, witnessing one of the most curious sights in the history of curious sights.

The man's astonishment would have been comical, if it had not been for the seriousness of the situation. His eyes grew to the size of saucepans and his mouth hung open for a couple of seconds. But he kept silent, he regained control over his thoughts and turned his head forwards again and marched on to the sickly rhythm of the chains, as if nothing had happened. The only difference was the small light of wonder and hope shining in his long since darkened eyes.

Septimus quickly aborted his peeking, and completely hid himself behind the tree. His back rested against the rough tree-trunk. He calmed his panicked breathing and wildly thumping heart, that could have gone terribly wrong. And it was going to get worse if they didn't do something about it.

Blues hopped down from his head to his shoulder. The boy turned to see the dragon and whispered :

" We have to warn the others ! "

The green and blue dragon nodded frantically. And the pair shot away from the tree, totally undetected as they swiftly ran away from the path. They were heading for the clearing, but taking a detour, avoiding the path and the slavers. Septimus had never sprinted so fast in his life, his feet crunching in the snow with every leap. His heart furiously pumping blood to his over-active muscles and to his worried head, already conceiving the worst of scenarios as he ran. Blues, was hastily fluttering ahead, leading the way towards the clearing in the hopes of warning the others in time.

* * *

Hiccup was in the forge, wearing his dark blacksmith's apron and happily hammering away at a soon-to-be shield. A faint smile tickled his complexion, and yellow sparks that reflected in his eyes flew with every 'Clang ! ' the hammer and hot red metal produced upon impact. Beads of sweat rolled down the boy's flushed face, red, due to the hot air and proximity to the burning embers that filled the round stone hearth presiding the centre of the room. Hiccup's swinging was regular and powerful, despite his frail figure. And his grip on the tongues was as tough as the iron he was wielding. Years of practise had made him a worthy blacksmith, even more so since he left...You know where...

He was interrupted mid-swing by the wooden front door to his house loudly barging open. Hiccup turned his head to see Qwynel, one hand on the door-frame the other on the door handle.

" What happened to knocking ? " Inquired the auburn boy, gleaming with sweat and still comically holding the inert hammer over his head.

" We have a problem." Said Qwynel, very seriously.

Hiccup's smile dropped, he lowered the hammer and rested it on the anvil with a ' _Clong !_ '. " What kind of problem ? "

" A problem that could turn into a much bigger one, so shift it kid..." She disappeared outside, closing the door behind her. Hiccup sighed and hung up his apron on a wooden hook on the wall.

" What did I tell her about calling me 'kid' ? " He muttered to himself as he hastily went out the front door after the older woman.

* * *

When Hiccup stepped outside, he found Marcus, Lucia and Qwynel standing besides each-other, observing the troubling scene before them. Hiccup walked over to join them, the end-day light failed to pierce the sombre veil of clouds, leaving the world below ominously shaded. The cold stung his flushed cheeks and the tip of his nose went slightly numb. A feeling one feels often so far north.

He stopped besides Lucia, and stared with the rest of the Drekians at the terrible sight.

A cold shiver ran up Hiccup's spine as a winter breeze ruffled his hair. His eyes met with the slaves, all chained up to one of the two longer chains. The armed guards, clad in poorly fashioned armour stomped around the clearing, prodding the prisoners here and there to direct the herd. Prisoners, who were all buckled over themselves under the weight of their irons. They looked so tired, so exhausted. Thor knows how long they've been chained up like that. Their wrists and ankles were red with abuse, on verge of bleeding as the skin was repeatedly scraped against the freezing and rough iron.

But then Hiccup's eyes met one of the slave's temple. His breath caught in his throat. He tried not to gag. His mind whirled and his stomach flipped in disgust. There, on a woman's temple...Was a ghastly 'S' shaped burn. Bubbly. Red. Untreated. Swollen. Forever to sickly decorate the woman's head. His eyes floated to the next slave, who bore the same mark, and the next, and the one after that... All wore the mark

All, had been barbarically marked as cattle. The irreversible 'S' shaped burn, there for all to see. Was a guarantee that even if the slaves escaped, they were stripped of all rights wherever they go. In no society would they be allowed to own anything, to lead, to be respected at all or even marry. They could be captured or struck down by whomever they encountered. With a horrendous brand of the sort, they had been denied all humanity.

Hiccup calmed his breathing, and swallowed nervously.

" Slavers ? " He whispered to Lucia.

She nodded gravely, still staring onwards before whispering back." Do you know where Jitters and Toothless are ? "

Hiccup pursed his lips." Out fishing..." He prayed that the two dragons were not to stroll into the clearing anytime soon, same for Blues and Septimus, bad things could happen then.

The caped leader strolled over towards the group, before suddenly stopping right before them and imperiously standing, backed by the dozen or so guards who weren't "tending" (spitting, insulting or prodding) to the slaves. Lucia, spotted a smaller figure amongst the slaves. A little boy, hunched with raw wrists and bruised elbows, his eyes underlined by purple bags, witness to his lack of sleep. His blonde dirty hair was a spiky mess. His hardened face not that of a little boy. Something broke inside her, her mind contorted in overwhelming horror, she closed her eyes to avoid the dismaying sight. What in the Gods' names could slavers possibly do with child slaves ?! That boy could have been her little brother !

The man towered over the group, and smiled as wolf would to four little sheep. The first noticeable thing about the bear-sized man was a curious shiny ornament in his mouth. It wasn't long before Hiccup realized it was a gold tooth. An upper canine, menacingly sharpened and shining in the sun's faint light.

The Gaul was wearing a white leather tunic with dark brown leather trousers covered by black leather greaves. His thick fur cape was attached by a silver chain hanging right below the man's neck.

Hiccup gulped, swallowing his fear and preparing his mind for desperate diplomacy. He pushed out all fear and intimidation, he was unwaveringly decided not to let his weak self show. Not to revert back to the old Hiccup. Hence his started brain furiously concocting witty comebacks as well as pacifying statements, anything to get the slavers off the island while keeping his courageous self intact.

Marcus had a nervous left hand rested on the white ivory pommel of his trusty sheathed gladius. His eyes twitched back and forth, evaluating his surroundings, scanning the imposing slavers. It should be simple. They tell the slavers they don't want to buy, the slavers leave. Done. But why then, so many guards ? Surely they didn't expect them to attempt to steal the slaves ?

The leader's smile widened and his hands gestured to either side of him as he spoke with a loud and deep voice : " Greetings ! I am Burchard ( pronounced _Burshaar )_. Mereuly a humble tradeur hoping to make fortune up north..." He pointed at the pair with a meaty finger. "I think togetheur we are going to make a lot of money...Eh ? "

* * *

 **Next chapter will be longer, I promise. Rant over !**


	16. Chapter 16

**Ok...This is a bigun'. I hope you enjoy it cause' I spent longer than I should have on this. Anyway, It's full of action, and gore. Be warned. This is one of the reasons I upped it from T to M.**

 **War is no joke and I'd hate to portray it as one. Even though some of my characters might try to cope with it by being overly-cheerful. I hope I haven't already put you off.**

 **Again, I hope you enjoy...**

 **Rant over.**

* * *

Septimus' breathing was frantic as he sprinted, dodging trees and snow-covered rocks. Blues, fluttered ahead. A bright blue and green figure in contrast with the white surroundings. He hoped it wasn't too late. As far as he and Blues knew, the slavers might already be at the clearing. After all, they were taking a detour to avoid detection.

The thought was like a punch in the emotional stomach. The soldiers could already be seizing his family, holding them at spear-point. He pushed the horrifying thought aside and ran on, lifting fountains of white snow in the wake of his thundering feet.

They were approaching the clearing now, twenty more metres and they'd be in the shady tree-line surrounding the settlement.

But Blues suddenly stopped.

She hovered mid-air, staring at nearby boulder and sniffing the air furiously, analysing a scent. Something was close, behind the snow-covered boulder.

Septimus stopped his racing, he skid in the snow in an attempt to stop, nearly fell, but recovered.

He stood by Blues, hands on his knees while catching his evasive breath.

Time was wasting, but if Blues had stopped due to a smell, then was important.

Both eyed the boulder suspiciously, and with no little amount of fear. The dragon landed on the boy's shoulder, where she often did, but this time she was ready to pounce.

Rustling. From behind the boulder.

Both held their breath.

Heavy footsteps in the snow. Not human.

the tension was unbearable. Anything could come round that corner. Anything. It was a matter of seconds now, anytime.

The pair readied themselves. Expecting anything...

A blue nadder and black dragon casually strolled from around the boulder. Both held large bags of fish in their mouths, and paused comically to observe the flustered Roman and terror. An awkward pause ensued. None moved, they just stared wide-eyed at each other, each trying to figure things out.

" Oh thank the gods ! You're here ! " Exclaimed Septimus suddenly, shooting upright. He released the breath he had been holding and panted wildly in an attempt at an explanation. " Right, we haven't got much time. Basically : Slavers, gonna enslave the others, but they don't know that. We have to warn them. "

The two dragons' eyes widened and both dropped their bags from their mouths in shock and horror. Needless to say it wasn't long before all four were racing towards the clearing at full speed.

But they were met with an unfortunate surprise when they finally reached the dissimulating tree-line surrounding the clearing. The slavers were already there ! Trying to sell their slaves...And soon to capture the Drekians ! They were hidden amongst the trees behind the slavers, with a clear view of their backs. Their reaction could only be described by Jitter's words :

" **Shit !** " Squawked the dragon.

Toothless snorted. " **You got that word from Marcus didn't you ?** "

" Sssshhh ! " Warned Septimus. He observed the many spearmen and chained-up slaves and pursed his lips. " There are too many. But we still need to warn them, somehow..."

* * *

The bald chief started pacing back and forth before the Drekians. Gladly presenting his "merchandise" with a cringe-worthy accent.

" We have a grand selection of first quality slaves. Cooks, labourers, farmers, and even a child if you need small hands in small places...They don't eat as much either..." The man chuckled contently, rubbing his hands together. His gold tooth twinkled in the sun.

Marcus opened his mouth to speak, but it was Hiccup, who was the first to answer the man.

" We aren't interested, sorry." Stated the boy. Trying to sound as resolute as possible.

The Gaul paused a second, smiled, and resumed his pacing. " Now now... I am sure we can come to an agreemeunt. You see my prices are ze lowest zis far north...And ze quality of my services are eggzellent ! Of course we could negotiate a discount and..." But the man's commercial ramblings faded into the background for Hiccup. For the boy noticed something in the corner of his eye. Something, that made his heart leap at first. But soothed it almost instantly after.

Behind the tall Gaul were his numerous spearmen, with their weapons resting on the ground and pointed at the sky. But behind those soldiers, in the tree-line... Was a curious electric blue shape, flapping it's wings in an frantic call for desperate attention.

 _'Thank Thor ! They're hidden...'_ Thought the auburn-haired boy.

But it wasn't all. For besides the blue dragon, was a small Roman, with Blues poised on his shoulder. He was frantically gesturing a warning. Shaking his head and drawing a grim finger across his throat.

It took a second for Hiccup to realize what the boy meant. His eyes widened and he suddenly snapped his head back, as if paying attention to the giant bald Gaul slaver. Gaul, who was still pacing and pointlessly enunciating his terms for a trade with repeating waves of his left hand. Thanks to the wonderful gift that is peripheral vision, Hiccup could distinguish Marcus, who was to his left and tightly gripping the hilt of his glaive. He too, had seen his brother and company in the tree-line. Critically warning them against against the near future.

Suddenly, Hiccup was flooded with an overwhelming need for his crossbow and armour. To feel the reassuring wooden stock of the weapon. The considerable power contained by the stretched bowstring. The weight of the hard leather plates on his shoulders. The sound of his own breathing resonating within his helmet. At this moment, he felt naked without them, now that he most needed these objects.

But he discarded the feeling. He couldn't dwell in the imaginary. He had to concentrate.

He got his brain churning :

The others were still hidden in the tree-line, which meant if a fight erupted, they'd have a distinct advantage. Not only surprise, but also the possibility of a pincer maneuver.

But they wouldn't stay hidden for long. Sooner or later one of the spear-men were bound to turn around and spot them. Things would explode then. Quite literally I might add.

They needed to make a move immediately. The time was as ripe as it would ever be...

" As I said..." Blurted out the boy, interrupting the now grumpy slaver in his ramblings. " We're not interested...Please leave our island, you won't make any gold here today."

The man froze in steps, and stared dumbfounded, confused by the fact that such a small teenager like Hiccup would dare to interrupt a mighty man like himself. Then, he abruptly burst into loud and raucous laughter.

Marcus tightened his grip on his sheathed gladius. Teeth gritted.

The slaver's laughter died down slowly. He rubbed a hand against his stubble before uttering, with his appalling accent " On ze contrary my frail friend...I think I will make a good amount of coin on ze long term... I wish it would not come to dis. Really, I do. Had you bought some of my wares, you would not be in zis situation... Times are hard, and I have my men to pay."

The spearmen pointed their spears in the group's direction and edged forward in a semi-circle.

The humongous Gaul took a menacing step closer to Hiccup, who desperately fought the urge to take a step back.

"Admittedly, you won't be worth much as small as you are..."

He then turned his smiling face towards Lucia.

" But your beautiful lady-friend over there..." He moved over to the Roman, who stood her ground, glaring defiantly, thinking of the knife concealed in the right sleeve of her brown leather jacket. " I know many men, who would pay a good price for such beauty..."

He leant down towards the young woman, brushed her cheek and stroked some strands of her dark hair. He chuckled.

Lucia glared on, before snarling : " I didn't run away from home..." In a flash she stepped back, and pulled the knife out of her right sleeve. " To be stuck with another slaver like _you."_ She sunk the knife in the man's soft belly.

For a moment nothing happened. The dreadful man stared blankly into Lucia's dark eyes, who stared back with terrifying glare of pure hatred. Not something you'd expect of such a girl.

The Gaul attempted to utter some words. But all that came out was a broken moan and a spluttering cough. Promptly followed by dark red blood, slowly leaking from his mouth, down his throat to stain the collar of his tunic.

Lucia stared down at the knife she was holding in her left hand, half sunken into the slaver. She gritted her teeth and pushed the knife into the flesh all the way to the hilt. The Gaul groaned again. A circle of red soaked the tunic around the knife blade, slowly growing.

With a grunt, she twisted the knife. A sharp cry of agony sounded through the clearing. Then nothing. All held their breath, stupefied by the scene before them. The clearing grew silent.

Lucia placed a hand up the barely standing Gaul's chest...And pushed. The body fell backwards, sliding from the knife with a sickening _'shlick ! '_ and collapsed, limp, on the icy ground. Blood oozed from the wound and the mouth, streaming down to stain the white snow below. Dead eyes and gaped mouth stared vacantly up to the grey sky. Devoid of all life.

Lucia still stood with her red stained knife. She looked up from the dead man on the ground to the stunned guards. Within the following second, the ex-slaver's second in command, who was one of the numerous spear-men yelled :

" ATTACK ! "

Following this battle-cry, all hell broke lose. The spearmen charged, weapons pointed before them. Marcus drew his gladius from it's sheath with the sound of sliding metal, dodging a spear and opening it's wielder's throat in one nimble move. Hot blood flew in an arc in the winter air. Before staining the snow with little red spots.

Many more slavers assaulted the boy, his improved swordsman skills made him a priority target. And he soon found himself difficultly fending off four men surrounding him. Each trying to pierce his defence of agile parries and blocks.

Qwynel, let her head fill not with adrenaline... But with reasoning. She was not a fighter, and it would be rather counter-productive for her to attempt to participate in the skirmish. Especially if she was to be saved from the first opponent she was encounter. Hence, she stepped back, away from the action. But not without tripping one of the spear-men, sending him flying head first into the snow.

Her skills will most likely be called for, later.

Lucia, was...Well she wasn't her lovely, smiling, self. No, she was a different woman entirely. Heck ! she went from human to animal ! She was truly, rather intimidating. Regardless of the fact she just stabbed the leader of the attackers, she was wildly swinging her bloody knife around. Savagely gritting her teeth and snarling at any who would approach. In consequence, only the bravest of the enemy group dared to approach her, and he was having a hard time stabbing her what with all her dodging and knife-swinging.

Hiccup. Now he, was aching to feel his crossbow in his hands. Especially now that a rather dangerous-looking spearman was trying to impale him. He kept backing of, stumbling over his own feet, forced backwards by the razor-sharp spearhead, waving around a little too close to him for his taste.

But now, the moment we were all waiting for...The most powerful dragon made his _spectacular_ appearance from the tree-line. With the lone intention to bring remorseless doom upon those that harmed friends and family. Nothing would escape. Nothing would survive... It was...Blues.

You might be laughing now, or even be disappointed. Each of you expecting Toothless... But let me tell you that Blues zipped from the tree-line with impressive speed. Only to clamp on to a man's face in the most violent of manners. I wish not to shock or scandalize you, so I will say only this : Imagine what a set of sharp teeth and claws plus a little dragon fire can do to a man's eyes, or his face in general...Not that he'd need it once his throat was gone. But the face was the first to go...

But if you really want to know about Toothless... Well, he leaped from the tree-line ad galloped over to the endangered Hiccup. Heart racing. He knocked a soldier off his feet before reaching half-way across the clearing. Hiccup, was on the floor, on his back. The menacing spearman stood over him, about to thrust his spear into the boy's small chest. Toothless asn't close enough. He wasn't going to make it in time. Hiccup extended a desperate palm, as if it would defend him from the spear. His mind was a maelstrom of a thousand thoughts, some of which included : ' _This is it, the end, this is how I die.'_ Or ' _Goodbye Toothless...We had a good run didn't we ?_ '

But the boy's premature death by spear was interrupted by the desperate night fury's formidable roar. That shook the entire clearing. Followed by the sound of a purple plasma bolt, which blasted across the second half of the clearing into the menacing spearman's back, who in turn promptly flew in eight different directions. Showering the poor soul below him in hot blood.

Needless to say that tattered leather armour simply doesn't suffice to protect one from a night fury's plasma bolt. Nor from powerfully piercing poisonous nadder spikes as a matter fact. Said spikes, were flying from Jitter's tail into the necks of the ones assaulting Marcus, who fell one by one to the snowy ground with a ' _thud !_ '.

Hiccup gasped in shock. He was covered in blood. Hot, sticky, _human_ blood... It was all over his face and tunic. Horrified isn't a word powerful enough to describe Hiccup's consternation. Toothless skid to a stop in the snow besides the boy, and nuzzled him, urging Hiccup to get up. The smell and feel of the gore covering Hiccup made the fury retch. It was horrific for the boy as much as it was for the dragon. Only he, had come to terms with it. Toothless nudged him again, more urgently this time. Hiccup realized he had to snap out of it. He needed to move. Now.

The auburn-haired boy got a grasp on himself, finally snapping out of his temporary state of shock. He recomposed and focused his broken thoughts despite the circumstances. He wiped his face with his left tunic sleeve, smearing it with red. He got up, leaning against his dragon brother and took a look around him.

There were too many spearmen. And despite the fact _dragons_ had joined the battle. They were still dangerously outnumbered. And even thought Toothless, the fabled night fury, had made his impressive appearance. The slavers were well-trained and disciplined. Furthermore they were foreigners, and did not fear the myth of the night fury as Vikings do.

Hiccup spotted the slaves, still grouped together in their columns. Some had resorted to taking on the spearmen, despite their bounds. Three of the strongest had caught one of the soldiers, and were strangling him with their chains. Unfortunately, that soldier did not carry a copy of the keys to the chains.

Not too far off, stood Jitters and Marcus, fighting back to back with claw and sword. For they had long since run short of fireballs and spikes. But menacing roars and Latin insults still flew from the swinging, hacking, jabbing pair to the ears of the shocked and terrified soldiers. All around them were more opponents, thrusting their spears at the fighting pair. Hiccup wasn't sure how long they could keep on fighting while keeping up a worthy defence. But it probably wasn't long.

further away was Lucia, violently slamming her foot into a man's groin. The poor soul squealed in rather unmanly manner, and collapsed to his knees, clutching with both hands the violated organ. Lucia proceeded kick the man in face, knocking him out cold. She didn't seem to need any help in the slightest.

Toothless huffed to his human brother : " **What now ?** "

" You help Marcus and Jitters...They won't last long. I'll see what I can do about the slaves."

Toothless gave a simple downward nod before leaping off to help the struggling dragon and his human. He pounced, gliding just off from the ground with semi-extended wings. That is until he got close enough to bearslap a soldier across the head with a powerful paw. The soldier's skull was crushed instantly and he was dead before he hit the ground. The black dragon pierced through the ring of soldiers ( knocking some over ) surrounding his friends to join them, forming a circle of three within a now broken circle of spearmen.

Hiccup ran towards the two columns of alarmed slaves. He obviously didn't run through the snow as fast as Toothless... But to his credit he didn't stumble nor trip during his racing. He stopped half-way to his target, only to drop to his knees besides a dead soldier, who's face had been brutally assaulted by a terrible terror not two minutes ago.

Hiccup fumbled with the dead soldier's belt, in finicky an attempt to separate the key ring from it's leather support. He tried to concentrate solely on the belt, keeping his gaze from straying to the corpse's reddened face. A minute passed before he finally brandished the large key ring, which bore a total of three keys. But he didn't linger. No, he shot to his feet and ran towards the slaves, chucking snow up into the air in his wake.

An explosion sounded, the sound of a night fury plasma bolt hitting the ground. The clearing shook, the slaves gasped, and the slavers' resolve weakened. Hiccup ducked his head and covered his ears reflexively at the thunderous noise. But he kept running, frail legs powered by shallow pants.

When he got to the group, Several noticed his arrival and the keys he held in his hands. But most were preoccupied by the terrifying dragons and humans still fighting about ten more soldiers armed with iron spears. Hiccup approached a brown-haired woman, who was silently yet pleadingly presenting her handcuffs to Hiccup. Hiccup tried one key, which simply wouldn't fit. Then the next, that fit, but wouldn't turn in the lock.

Hiccup hissed in annoyance.

Finally, the last one was the right one and with a twist and a ' _click_ ', the cuffs undid themselves and fell to the white ground in a clatter.

The woman stepped out of the column, dazed, staring incredulously at her red wrists with an expression of awe and wonder. As if she thought this day would never have come, ever. She seemed to forget the turbulent battle around her as her attention was entirely focused on her long awaited freedom. I cannot describe the intense feeling of bliss, or rather overwhelming euphoria that took over that woman, who had spent every second of her past ten years bound to those same handcuffs.

It wasn't long before the other slaves realized that the woman had strayed from their ranks. And a second later, all were extending their cuffed hands towards Hiccup, who was frantically unlocking the iron bonds as fast as he could.

There were so many different slaves. Each with different skin colour, face, complexion, body shapes. Hiccup felt a shiver run down his spine when a particularly grim thought crossed his mind : ' _How far had these people been forced to travel ? How far were they from their homes, families ?!'_

Across the clearing, the last four slaver soldiers dropped their spears, turned tail and ran. They were disciplined, and usually fought to the bitter end. But with their leader dead on the ground, leaking blood, and the obvious defeat they were facing... It was exceedingly unchallenging to toss honour and glory to the wind and choose to preserve their lives.

Hence they clumsily ran out of the clearing and up the path they came, leading to the beach lonely beach.

Many of the liberated slaves had taken upon themselves to liberate their brothers and sisters from the clutch of their chains with the help of keys found on several dead or dying soldiers. All around the clearing, the white snow was stained with red, generally pooling around lifeless corpse and small smoking craters of dragonfire origin. Hiccup looked around him, fighting to keep his past meal within his stomach. He handed the keys he was holding to a tall, strong and bald dark-skinned man, who promptly went about replacing Hiccup in the slave-liberating process.

Hiccup walked towards the Drekians, all huddled together on the other side of the clearing besides the houses. Hiccup focused his sights onwards, he wouldn't let himself see the corpses, or any sickening sights that littered the clearing. Sights, which he hoped were not going to return and haunt some of his nights. He was already denied sleep once a week.

He had had to step over several corpses to regain the group, but he made it. Nauseous, and slightly traumatized, but still in one piece.

Qwynel and Septimus left their hiding spot. Which was behind Toothless and Hiccup's house. They joined the dragons and humans who stood panting and sweating despite the winter air. None chose to comment on Hiccup's red colouring. Instead, hey all stared at each other for a moment, until Hiccup ran a hand through his hair and stared at his feet while sighing : " What a mess."

Marcus sheathed his bloody sword. " At least we aren't the ones who were messed up."

Lucia shook her head incredulously, staring detachedly at the remnants of the skirmish littered around the clearing. " Maybe...But they're _dead._ And it's our fault..." She was having regret. The savage warrior she had let out earlier was gone. And, now. She had to face the idea she killed a man in cold blood and beat others to a pulp.

Qwynel, approached Lucia and placed both reassuring hands on her shoulders, and stared down into the younger girl's eyes, who seemed distant, slightly guilty. " Lu, they attacked us first. And I think many here would agree to the fact that these people deserved what they got." The older woman shot a quick glance towards the slaves, who were all grouped together not far off and staring at them with a mix of curiosity, fear and wonder. The woman, who stood a little taller than Lucia, locked her eyes with Roman's again before saying : " Don't feel guilty." She slightly shook the younger woman's shoulders, stressing her words' importance. " I hate to say it. But in this world it's sometimes kill or be killed. Not always. But sometimes. Hiccup and Toothless here got a first hand account of that when they met their first wild dragon."

Hiccup cringed and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing unwanted images out of his head. Qwynel tossed him an apologetic look for a second before resuming her speech :" Think about it this way : ..." She removed her hand's from Lucia's shoulders and took a step back. " I think we made those people's lives so much better..."

All Drekians turned to stare back at the group of ex-slaves. Who were huddled together, murmuring, whispering, and staring with fearful eyes.

" I guess you're right..." Admitted Lucia grimly. Not convinced yet. She'd come to terms with it in time.

Qwynel tried to lighten the mood : " Ha ! Of course I'm right, I'm old ! "

Marcus cleared his throat intentionally. " Er...Listen, I don't mean to stress everyone out but...What do we do with the unexpected guests ? " He gestured a thumb towards the ex-slaves.

They looked terrified.

Hiccup turned to the dragons. All three were grouped behind the humans, with Blues settled on Jitters' head. " I think you might be scaring them..."

Toothless' sweet eyes widened in innocent realization. Sweet, round eyes that definitely didn't match the streaks of blood covering his muzzle, mouth and cheeks. In fact, all dragons had their muzzles and paws tainted with blood, and left red footprints in the snow where they walked. Jitters bore a fresh cut wound on his bottom jaw, it ran up his cheek in a bloody streak. Nothing serious, but it would surely leave a mark. Despite having fought and suffering a minor wound, the blue nadder somehow still found the energy to tap his foot spastically against the ground.

The dragons hated the smell of human blood. And now that they were mostly covered in it, their nostrils were flooded with the sickening smell. Now they could _only_ smell blood. And it revolted them. But all three had come to terms that they had done what they had to do. For their human companions, and for themselves. And for their currently utopic lifestyle to persist.

But deep in all three dragons' stomach, was a scary feeling stating that after what just happened, and after what was to come, things would not be the same. Despite their efforts. But whether it was for better or worse, no one knew.

" Listen..." Said Marcus, turning towards the dragons. " I think they might be a bit afraid of you guys...Now the slavers must've come here on a boat, and I've no doubt the ones who ran away are headed back to the beach..."

Jitters bowed his head solemnly in manner that said : " **Say no more, we will take care of it.** "

Hiccup scratched the back of his head nervously. " Thanks...Meanwhile we'll try to defuse the er... _Situation_ here. "

Toothless was sitting on his rump like a cat would. He grunted, sending a look of cold stone across the clearing to the ex-slaves. He didn't like leaving Hiccup and the others to talk to them. What if things went wrong ? There were more of them than there were of Drekians... What if the ex-slaves got scared of the Drekians, both human or dragon, and chose to fight back. That's what scared or cornered animals do right ? Fight back.

Hiccup sensed the night fury's turmoil. the dragon was staring out to the slaves, frowning ( a Toothless frown ). Hiccup saw the horrible scenes and outcomes the dragon was imagining flash across his toxic green eyes. Hiccup could tell what troubled Toothless, just as Toothless could always tell what troubled Hiccup. The auburn haired boy approached the dragon. Who snapped out of his thought-storm and peered down to his human with big, round, affectionate eyes.

The night fury lowered his nose when Hiccup extended his hand upwards. They met halfway, smearing now darkening blood onto Hiccup's palm and fingers. Both pairs of green eyes met like so many times before, but it was nevertheless still as powerful as the very first time.

" We'll be fine bud..."

Toothless closed his eyes in defeat and huffed. " **If you say so...** " He raised his head again and snorted, with a look of : " **I still don't know why I put up with you...** " And he turned around with the other dragons and walked towards the path leading to the beach. Leaving red paw marks in the white snow in their wake.

 _'I don't either'_

* * *

It was a rather curious sight for the ex-slaves. They observed the Drekians across the clearing, indistinguishably discussing amongst themselves, backed up by their ominous three dragons.

" They master dragons..." Exclaimed a Persian woman from the group incredulously, still not quite believing it was possible, but finally regaining enough of his wits to formulate her amazement.

" All that power...Taming mighty dragons..." Completed a man.

At that moment Marcus turned to said reptiles. It was clear he was addressing them. A wave of shocked and wondrous murmurs rippled through the tight group of forty slaves. And it rippled again, louder, when Jitters answered with a single downward nod.

" Did he just speak to them ?! " Asked a Scottish voice.

" Aye, I think he did...And I think it understood." Answered a Saxon woman.

At that moment, the night fury turned it's head to shoot a piercing glare at the group.

He was reasonably far, yet his eyes seemed so close. It powerfully bore through every single one of the slaves, they all fell silent. Those eyes were the witness of emotion and intelligence fuelled by impressive power. Even from afar anyone could see that. Amongst the slaves, most knew of dragons, though had never seen them. Some, had come from so far, that they knew dragons only as legend. But none in the group had even imagined such a creature as the night fury to even _exist_ before.

And then Hiccup placed his palm on Toothless' nose. And at that moment, most realized that it was more than a master/pet gesture. It was more than a way to communicate. It was something indescribable, wonderful, powerful, rare.

It was a moment that Lucia had wished to capture in her wood carving not so long ago. The carving she offered to Hiccup on his birthday. The one that nearly brought him to tears. The statuette still resided besides his hay mattress, admired every night before drifting to more or less peaceful sleep.

With the dragons gone. The Drekians turned back towards each-other again, forming a circle to discuss matters. Although the slaves couldn't hear what they were saying from across the clearing, they could guess the Drekians were deciding their next course of action.

" So what do we do now ? " Piped Septimus, trying to sound cheerful despite it all.

" I guess we go talk to them." Said Lucia.

Qwynel turned to Hiccup, with an intent expression. " If ya' tongue's still as sharp as it usually is kid, I suggest you go talk to them. Maybe get them to let us help."

Hiccup groaned and brought the non-bloodied hand up to slowly rub his frowning face. " Ok...Firstly, Qwynel...What have I told you about the whole 'kid' thing ?" Qwynel merely chuckled. " And secondly, I can't go talk to them, I'll mess it up. "

" Nonsense ! " Exclaimed the older woman. Her three black braids, now slightly greying, swung behind her as she agitated her head while gesturing at Hiccup from head to toe. " You're a diplomatic beast with all... _This_ !" She gestured with both hands at the boy's head.

" I'm covered with blood ! " Noted Hiccup, not grimly enough to fit the situation.

" It'll make you more imposing." Counteracted Qwynel.

" Me ? imposing ? "

Marcus cut in humoristically, a smile curving the edges of his mouth. " If you want to look imposing I'll stand behind you if you want, flex my muscles and swing my sword around..."

Septimus snorted and rolled his eyes.

" All right you do that then ! " Said Qwynel, gently but firmly grasping both teenagers by the shoulder and shoving them in the slaves' direction. " If you had more confidence maybe you'd actually achieve something worthy in yer lives ! " She chuckled.

Qwynel's grasp merely forced Marcus in the slaves' direction, but Hiccup nearly fell. He stumbled and tripped over his feet before regaining his balance, narrowly preventing himself from falling face first into the snow.

He brushed down his dark green tunic before moaning. " Why won't you go ? You're wise and all..."

" Yeah and I'm also _old_ and _senile_ now get over there before I slap ya' with a wet fish ! "

Hiccup groaned again. He wasn't looking forward to this.

" Come on " Encouraged Marcus. Both started noisily trudging through the snow towards the group of unexpected guests.

" I'm gonna mess this up." Sighed Hiccup after a couple of steps, murmuring it to himself while staring absently at the ground.

" Although I hate to admit it, Qwynel's right y'know. You _are_ the best talker here. What with your comebacks and quick thinking."

" No... I can be snappy and think of all the right stuff, but only with the ones I know. You, Toothless and the others. But when I'm facing someone I just met, I get intimidated. _Very_ easily. Too easily. And then I mess up."

" Well now that you're backed up by the wonderful _me_ , you can fearlessly say whatever you want without getting _too_ bashed up..."

" That... makes me feel _so_ much better..."

Marcus chuckled.

They walked on. When they reached the halfway mark towards the group of visitors, Hiccup abruptly stopped in his tracks. " Wait" He said.

" Why ? " Said Marcus, frowning.

" If we wait here, they'll understand we want to talk. And they'll send someone to us. "

Marcus looked puzzled, not quite understanding what was wrong with simply walking up to the group and talking to them.

Hiccup read the confusion, and elaborated, gesturing with his hands as he explained. " It's less aggressive...It makes it seem like an invitation to discuss and not...I don't know...It simply gives them a sense of control."

Marcus shook his head. " I don't know why you doubt yourself. You've got this in the bag !" He snorted. " Even I didn't think of that..."

" I picked some stuff up from my fath-...S-Stoick the Vast, when I was still on...On...Whatever."

* * *

The 'unexpected guests' witnessed Marcus and Hiccup's detachment from the main group of Drekians. They walked towards them, slowly padding through the snow while discussing something indistinguishable from where they stood.

" I think they wanna talk..." Noted a middle aged ex-slave.

" Aye, looks like they do." Answered another.

The pair of teens stopped, waiting.

" What are they doing ? " Asked the same man. Nervous murmur spread through the group.

" They're waiting for us to send someone." Answered a deep, booming South-African voice from the centre of the group. Most turned to peer at the giant, dark-skinned man, who stared with crossed arms and a frown towards the teens, who were patiently standing in the centre of the clearing.

" Ye' should go 'Bear " Said a red-haired Irish woman who stood by him, looking up at the strong ex-slave.

" Yeah WarBear, you're smart and strong. Tell 'em we don't want any trouble."

" Yeah .." Agreed a couple others.

The man kept staring like a hawk at the two teens, with arms crossed, silently. As stubborn as stone.

He was a large man. Broad-shouldered, tall. Not barrel-chested in the Viking way, but probably just as strong. His bare torso showed a powerful muscular figure. His bald head glowed slightly in the filtered light, blocked by the grey clouds. And despite the northern winter cold attacking his exposed torso, he didn't shiver.

The man clenched his jaw. Flexed his temples. Including his left scared temple.

Then silently. Wordlessly. He uncrossed his arms and moved out from the centre of the group. The small crowd of forty parted to let his large figure slowly yet surely stroll towards the teens.

Hiccup lost a shade of colour from his already pale cheeks when he saw the tall African stroll towards them. He gulped nervously.

" Don't worry, he's probably not as mean as he looks." Said Marcus nonchalantly.

" I bet even you're doubting what you just said."

" That's why I said 'probably'"

" Great..."

Marcus was starting to have doubts of his own about how this would go. The same doubts Hiccup had since the beginning

The man finally reached them. And stood before them, about four metres away. He made himself even taller and crossed his arms again, starting stonily down at the Drekians.

Hiccup looked up at the great dark-skinned man. And thought : _Suffering scallops..._


	17. Chapter 17

**There's a reference to one of my favourite songs in there...See if you can spot it. Also, some of the situations and character backgrounds might be a little heartwrenching. I'm sorry for that, but don't worry, the tide will turn...For most 'em...**

 **Rant over.**

* * *

Marcus was starting to have doubts about how this would go. The same doubts Hiccup had since the beginning.

The man finally reached them. And stood before them, about four metres away. He made himself seem even taller and crossed his strong arms, staring stonily down at the Drekians.

Hiccup looked up at the great dark-skinned man. _Suffering scallops..._

Marcus noted that he was getting sick of being towered over by giant men during tense situations. This had to end.

Though for the sake of the...Negotiation, he resisted the urge to place a reassuring hand on his sheathed sword, which was drying in its sheath from the previous fight. He'd have to scrape the dry blood off with a wet rag later.

A tense silence passed before Hiccup broke it, clearing his throat uncomfortably while holding his fist to his mouth. " So uh...*Ahem* I guess we start with names ? "

A cold breeze ruffled the two teen's hair. Including Hiccup's, slightly sticky with drying blood.

" It is indeed customary. " Simply boomed the bald man. Still, with crossed arms and piercing brown eyes. It was imposing. Concise. Tailored to give an impression of control. Hiccup wasn't sure if it was humour. The man wasn't smiling, far from it. Yet he wasn't frowning either. It was a terrifying poker face, not betraying any emotion.

" Ok...Well, I'm Hiccup."

The man raised an eyebrow. Hiccup made a huge effort to swallow his fear. He raised an eyebrow in return, daring the man to comment on his name. The man lowered his eyebrow and said nothing. Marcus discreetly looked over at Hiccup. He was impressed, actually. The Hiccup he'd known so well up to now wouldn't have stood ground to a man like that. He knew his friend was terrified, but he was doing an excellent job at not showing it.

And we all know hiding fear and surprise wasn't Hiccup's strong suit. Ever.

" I'm Marcus. " Added the Roman gravely.

" Greetings Marcus and... _Hiccup_..." His South-African accent was thick. But combined with his deep voice, it made him sound all the more terrifying. "...I am WarBear. At least, that's what people call me."

Hiccup groaned internally. He was talking to a giant man nicknamed ' _WarBear'_ ! Gods Above ! And he probably wasn't simply called that for his size. His impressive name and the fact that he looked down upon Hiccup granted WarBear an advantage, placing him above Hiccup, making him superior. In any negotiation or interaction with the representative of another party, gaining the upper hand in terms of control and influence over the other is key.

Hiccup now had to answer that previous statement. To confirm that he too, was willing to make things work smoothly. Calling him 'WarBear', would have the contrary effect. It would be a mark off respect, but also, an indicator that the Drekians accepted distance between them and the ex-slaves. It was too formal.

Calling him simply 'Bear' on the other hand, would elevate Hiccup's position. He would be self-granting himself the right to shorten WarBear's name in a way only friends and family would. By raising an eyebrow earlier, WarBear had not only showed his astonishment at Hiccup's name. But it was also a way for him to test the boy's resolve, to challenge his resistance if you will. Had Hiccup not 'parried' the 'attack' by raising an eyebrow of his own, daring the man to comment upon his name, WarBear would have proven himself superior in a way. Granting him more control over the negotiation.

Negotiating was a bit like when two wolves are put in a pen together. They'll snarl, bark, bare their teeth at each other. Then they'll fight, one will wield, granting the other one the rank of Alpha. Hence conceding him the power to set the terms. For example, getting more food, or choosing his/her mate.

When negotiating, either one promotes himself 'Alpha' through a series of subtle statements or actions, nothing too brutal or hostile that may cause actual conflict. Or both parties bring each other to equal grounds, making themselves more trustworthy and willing to reach a compromise or agreement that benefits both equally. That is what one could call a stalemate.

That is exactly what happened here. Hiccup brought himself to equal grounds with WarBear, despite his unimpressive name, age, and size. All that with a single sentence : " Nice to meet you 'Bear."

But now, it was WarBear's turn to attack. Yet the boy had already found a way to 'force WarBear into a corner'. So he 'attacked' again : Hiccup extended his left hand. Silently demanding a handshake with a kind smile. The ex-slave stared down at the hand for a second. His face didn't betray it, but he hesitated. Hiccup knew.

If he shook that hand, it would be the point of no return. Shaking someone's hand meant you acknowledged their presence, and this combined with the boy's previous actions would symbolise WarBear's acceptance of Hiccup as someone standing on equal grounds.

Think about it. What do you to purposefully disrespect someone ? To put them below you ? You refuse to shake their hand, you leave their door open when you storm out the room, you look down upon them, or you interrupt them mid-speech, etc... But here, Hiccup knew that WarBear could not afford to refuse to shake that hand. It would be too rash of an action for their current position : Homeless ex-slaves on an island far up north during winter with dragons allied with the very humans they had to warm up too.

The ex-slaves had nothing. The Drekians had everything. WarBear hoped to gain control of the situation by placing Hiccup, the Drekians' representative below him through a series of minor actions and 'attacks'. But Hiccup wouldn't let that happen, although he wanted to help them, he couldn't do that unless they were all on equal grounds.

WarBear _lowered_ his own hand to shake Hiccup's, which wasn't inclined upwards as one would usually dispose to shake a taller man's hand. This had more significance than it appeared. Had Hiccup reached up for the handshake, it would mean Hiccup went towards WarBear. But there, WarBear reached down to Hiccup, meaning Hiccup forced WarBear to him. It was all more symbolic and decisively important than you might think.

In the process of the handshake. The tall African attempted an 'attack' : His powerful hand squeezed, no, _crushed_ Hiccup's hand in a way that would usually make him wince in pain. He probably hoped to get Hiccup to pull away or manifest pain. Hence lowering his position and credibility. But the boy bottled his suffering and kept on smiling, not showing any weaknesses as the giant squeezed his hand as much as he could without breaking it.

Finally, Hiccup was content. And the handshake broke up. Both parties had seen their own emissaries shake hands, conveying a sense of agreement and friendliness.

* * *

_Several minutes later_

WarBear returned to the group of ragged men and women. He stood before them, taller than each and every other. He crossed his arms as he often did, and the ex-slaves waited breathlessly for the bald man to deliver his verdict.

" They will help us. " He started, voice decorated with his African accent.

Cue confused murmurs and sighs of relief from the group. Some were grateful, others slightly wary. But regardless of each one's opinion, the fact still stood : They couldn't afford to refuse the Drekians' hospitality, or show any hostility or reluctance. No matter what they thought.

The tall dark-skinned man continued. " They agree to let us into their homes."

" And the dragons ? " Asked a suspicious woman.

" They will stay in the forest. " He answered calmly.

Reassured mumbling crossed everyone's lips.

" The remaining slavers have been taken care of by their... _Dragons_. The ship anchored near the beach is empty, all the guards were here when the fight broke out."

The group of Drekians moved towards the crowd of thirty as WarBear stepped to the side. The dragons' friends stood for a while, before Lucia spoke up, trying to sound friendly :

" Me and my brothers can welcome eighteen people. Preferably those in desperate need for a bed. We have space."

The Romans had the biggest house, which had two floors. Hence allowed a greater capacity. The Drekians had already split the numbers and estimated the guests' needs. Thanks to Marcus' decent ability in mental calculations ( something Hiccup found hard to do without a sheet of paper. ) all the logistics had already been mostly taken care of.

At first, nothing. But soon enough the coldest and hungriest pushed through the small crowd and went to stand by Lucia. When eighteen people had been rallied, they left for the warmth of the Romans' abode. Following the kind Roman woman in a tired and broken herd.

Qwynel repeated the process for seven men and women, taking those that most needed medical attention.

All that remained now was Hiccup, WarBear and the other six ex-slaves remaining : A seemingly Scottish woman, two Saxon men, a Persian, a slender Greek man, and...The little boy.

Hiccup winced when he saw the little blonde boy. He could have been nine years old, or ten. Regardless of his age, he was too young for anything he seemed to have been through. His frail and skeletal figure was a witness to malnourishment, not something the other slaves seemed to suffer from. The poor boy was in ripped clothes, that hung loosely in their poor state and excessive size. Purple bags hung under his eyes, he obviously didn't have the luxury of sufficient sleep. His hostile eyes were bloodshot. His ruffled and dirty blonde hair was relatively short, but sticking out in chaotic and spiky tufts. His triangular face wore a dark expression, absently staring into darkness. But more shockingly his bony left cheek was coloured with a dark bruise, as was his forearms and elbows.

The Drekian winced, averting his gaze from the appalling sight.

" Ok... Let's go." Managed Hiccup, trying to sound cheerful. He turned and led the visitors to his small log cottage.

He shoved open the wooden door and strolled in.

" It's not much, but it's home." Commented the boy as the visitors entered behind him, greatly appreciating the comfortable warmth of the forge's red hearth.

Hiccup led them to the small living area, where they sat at the table, collapsing onto the wooden stools. Exhausted. They buried their heads in their crossed arms or propped them up with one. And although it didn't show. Every single one of them was ecstatic to their release. All but one.

Hiccup washed himself and his tunic in a bucket of water from the sickening blood that covered him, and put on another shirt. Grey, this time.

After serving the adults with food that should have lasted the week, Hiccup thought of the little boy, sitting silently in the forge.

He brought a wooden plate over into the next room, where he found the boy sitting on the dirt floor, curled up on himself, hugging his knees as he sat leaning his left side against the stone hearth. He was staring into nothingness, he seemed lost.

The cylindrical hearth was made of small grey stone bricks, warm, but hard against the boy's head and left shoulder currently adorned against it. But the boy took no notice. It'd simply be another ache in his body.

Hiccup crouched before the boy, holding the plate. Faint shadows grew long in the embers' red light.

" You should uh...Eat."

The boy said nothing, he didn't even budge.

" You need to eat." Insisted Hiccup, his heart slowly reaching the same state as the boy : Broken.

nothing.

" Please eat, you can't starve yourself." He insisted. But it seemed it was already done. In his state, the little boy could drop dead tomorrow.

The kid turned his head and faced Hiccup. And for an entire two seconds, Hiccup saw the boy's face, a chill ran down his spine. This wasn't a little boy's face. The eyes that met him were stone grey. In every sense.

Not only were they of a light grey colour. But the cheer and imaginative spark usually found in children's eyes was all but absent. Those were not a child's eyes, they were hard, bloodshot, suffering, hating, eyes. Those were the eyes of someone who'd grown up too fast. Who'd been forced from childhood by pain, suffering and fear. He wasn't a child, nor was he an adult. He was like a boat, stuck on a raging, tumultuous river. Incapable of reaching either shore. Forever stuck in the middle. Even though one of the shores was alive and alight. It was where all the lights glow, the little lights that shone in each and everyone's heart. They shone in all hearts, all but one.

His face seemed even more hardened and emotionless in the hearth's red light. His voice was weak, ragged, hoarse. On the verge of breaking.

" Fuck off..."

Hiccup's eyes widened. He didn't expect that. Not from someone that age. Though it was somewhat justified.

" I don't want your damn food." The boy mumbled hoarsely as he turned his head away to rest against the hearth again. Avoiding any eye contact.

Hiccup sighed, and deposited the plate on the ground at the boy's feet. He prayed the boy would eat. He got up and walked off, just to hear the sound of the boy kicking the wooden plate across the floor as Hiccup crossed the door over to the next room.

Hiccup closed his eyes and let out a defeated sigh. He wanted to help, he really did. But that boy was lost, and wouldn't let him.

The little boy was indeed lost. He felt like crying, but he was way past tears. To be truthful, he ran out of tears within the first year of his captivity. Now he just closed his sore eyes, trying to find sleep. But he also knew he wouldn't find any sleep, he rarely did.

He wanted to be elsewhere. Away from everything. Why was that guy helping him ? Did he think he could simply fix everything ?! Why wouldn't he simply leave him alone ?!

He wanted to be away from him, from everyone. He wanted someplace safe and warm, but not here. He lifted his heavy eyelids and stared at the door. He could leave. It was tempting. But he'd freeze to death in the night. In the howling wind. The white snow.

Somehow it was still tempting.

He didn't even bother groaning to himself. He was exhausted. He felt his heartbeat pulse in his damned bruises. So tired.

It racked his mind : The fear, the unknown, the anger.

He felt as hopeless and as helpless as a feather on the Clyde.

* * *

Hiccup sat down at the table on a wooden stool. And watched the ex-slaves voraciously dig into their freshly served meals. At least he could help _them_. His thoughts were interrupted by one of them raising his head from the food. It was WarBear.

" You aren't going to eat anything ? " He asked with his deep voice.

" Er...No... Thanks."

" But we can't be enjoying this meal if the host won't enjoy it himself."

Hiccup smiled. " Thank you, but I-I'm not hungry."

WarBear stared on, before conceding. " Very well..."

Hiccup let them eat, wordlessly, but not noiselessly. When some had finished emptying the wooden plates, he offered a second serving. Which they all gratefully accepted. After they had all filled their stomachs with warm Drekian food, most sat down on the floor against the walls or simply lay on the wooden boards in an attempt to get some sleep. It came easy for those who tried. But not for the boy in the forge.

There were only WarBear and the Scotswoman left at the table. Tired, but keen on making conversation and getting to know their host. And after all, it was the first time in years they could speak freely to anyone without being reprimanded by a blow to the stomach.

" So you are a blacksmith ? " Inquired WarBear, slowly.

The Scottish woman, who had a large amount of red curly hair on her head, an orange explosion of swirling locks, scoffed. But not too loud as to wake the ones sleeping. Not that they'd wake up anytime soon." Course he's a blacksmith 'Bear ! Ye' think he just has a forge in his house fer' shits n' giggles ?"

WarBear raised an eyebrow, only half understanding the woman through her melodious yet complex Scottish accent, as always. " I was only trying to start a conversation. "

" Well yer' doing a terrible job at it ! Why don' ye' ask tha' lad what he makes eh ? " She turned to Hiccup. " Wha' do ye' make laddie ? "

" I er...I make swords, shields, mechanisms, and other stuff I usually sell on the neighbouring island."

" Mechanisms ? " Inquired WarBear, intrigued.

" Um, yeah. "

" What kind ? "

" Uh...My crossbow has deployable bow limbs..."

They stared at him blankly, they didn't look convinced. Hiccup smiled and got up. " Wait a second...I'll show you." He got up and walked into the dimly lit forge and pulled the weapon off its shelf above a workbench. But before returning back to the table, he observed the little boy. He still didn't know his name. The boy was still curled up against the round hearth. The wooden plate was lying on the floor a metre away, upside down. A trail of its contents behind it a clear indicator that it was kicked. Hiccup pursed his lips and went back into the other room. He deemed it best not to disturb the unstable boy, who wasn't sleeping, but merely lost in a hailstorm of thoughts. His hope and will to go on was weak, like the flickering flame of a candle in a hurricane.

Hiccup set himself down before the two ex-slaves once more and set his weapon down on the wooden table. Illuminated only by a single waving candle. They stared at the curious invention, confused, until Hiccup pulled one of it's two triggers and the bow limbs snapped open. The Persian ex-slave, who was sleeping on the floor with nothing more than a blanket groaned in protest as he awoke.

" Impressive..." Noted WarBear, arms crossed as he seemed to always have them.

The woman on the other hand, was completely blown away. " Impressive ? Impressive ? Tha' kid's a bloody genius ! I've never seen anything like it ! "

The Persian grunted sleepily, trying to get the message across.

" Ye' have some serious talent..." Concluded the woman, in a softer voice, pointing a finger at the crossbow. Hiccup felt his face redden, he wasn't used to compliments. He hoped they didn't see it in the dim light.

" It is a shame you did not have it during the fight." Said Bear, with his accent as strong as his arms. His smooth dark skin reflected the flickering yellow light of the candle set upon the table. Especially his bald scalp.

The red-haired woman mock-punched the giant man. " Yer' always so negative ! Ye' really are a pessimist ain't ye' ? "

" That, is simply another word for a realist."

" Whatever..." Answered the woman. Shaking her head in pretend exasperation.

There was a small pause, soon to be cut short by Hiccup's curiosity.

" I-I never got your name. " He asked, addressing the middle-aged woman.

" Marsaili Rois...The last of the Rois family..."

Hiccup mentally slapped himself. Bringing up a slave's past was sure to hurt them !

" But people call me Mar..."

" I...Uh...I-I'm sorry about the..."

" Don't ye' worry about laddie, happened a time long ago...I was the only survivor of that raid. Damn slavers... They got what they had coming to them. Thanks to ye' and yer'...Yer'..."

" Dragons ? " Completed Hiccup. Praying the conversation wasn't going to go downhill from there on.

" Aye..."

" If I may..." Interrupted WarBear. " How did you tame such mighty beasts ? "

" We didn't tame them."

Both ex-slaves raised an eyebrow.

" We befriended them."

The eyebrows didn't go down.

" They're very similar to humans in their intelligence and emotions. You can't tame a human. You can imprison him, or chain him up or-..." He realized his mistake too late. " Oh ! Gods ! I'm so sorry ! I didn't mean to-..."

" It's fine." Simply stated WarBear. Extending a reassuring palm from his crossed arms to calm Hiccup, signalling him his apology was accepted. " Please. Continue."

" Well...Uh...They can be detained. But not tamed."

" So how did ye' get them to fight for ye' ? " Asked the Scot.

" Most people would fight for their family, right ? "

" True."

" Aye."

" Well that's just it ! It's based around trust, and total communication with a single human. Dragons and humans can be friends, and trust each other. But there's that _one_ human for every dragon, and that _one_ dragon for every human, that are meant for each other. And that'll understand each other perfectly. It'll be beyond trust. Beyond a bond of friendship...Family. "

The guests didn't say anything. They simply stared with indistinguishable expressions on their faces.

" Even though both can't communicate with words. They can guess the other's thoughts and actions perfectly. They form a pair. They...I don't know...They complete each other I guess. "

Silence. Hiccup was suddenly scared. What would happen now ? What would be their reaction ?

" And that's what it was ? " Asked WarBear, all of a sudden.

" Was... What...? " Asked Hiccup fearfully.

" When you reached up to touch the dragon's nose. And he bent down to touch your hand. That was that bond you talk of ? "

" Yeah...That was the way me and Toothless first made contact. That was how it started..."

" Toothless ? " Asked Mar, amused.

" Uh yeah...He has retractable teeth. So at first I thought he was toothless, and the name stuck."

" Yer' a total wacko yer' know that ? "

" Yeah I get that a lot..." Chuckled Hiccup, scratching the back of his head, somewhat relieved.

The Scot shook her head incredulously, trying to take it in. She merely stared into emptiness. Her worn, freckled face was covered in the shadows born of the candlelight. " So dragons have souls..."

" And a heart, it seems..." Completed WarBear solemnly.

" They're bigger than humans." Mumbled Hiccup; staring at the candle, lost in thought.

The Scotswoman raised an eyebrow. " What ? "

" Their hearts...A dragon's heart is bigger than any of ours."

WarBear was puzzled. " What makes you say that ? "

Hiccup pondered for a while and continued to stare idly at the flickering candle flame before snapping out of it. He concluded he could entrust the tale of how he and Toothless came to be to these strangers. And so he started his story : " It was on Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. The village. In a word? Sturdy. And it's been there for seven generations, but every single building is new. They have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. My only problems were the pests. You see while other Viking tribes have dragons I such...I had...Vikings ! It all happened one night when..." And so the tale went on for at least half-an-hour. When he finished, the Drekians stared silently for a while, humbled, and impressed.

" It was on Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. The village. In a word? Sturdy. And it's been there for seven generations, but every single building is new. They have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. My only problems were the pests. You see while other Viking tribes have dragons to cope with. I...I had...Vikings ! It all happened one night when..." And so the tale went on for at least half-an-hour. When he finished, the Drekians stared silently for a while, humbled, and impressed.

And so the tale went on for at least half-an-hour. Hiccup was not once interrupted, not once questioned. Both ex-slaves listened with superhuman attention, taking in every word. When he finished, the visitors stared silently for a while, humbled, and impressed.

" So that is the true nature of dragons...Pure souls, that until now, could only be found in our legends" Stated WarBear, it was a powerful realization.

" He did so much for me..." Hiccup nodded " And I did so much for him..." . They sat in silence for a while, each lost in thought.

" Can I uh... Can I ask you a question ? " Said Hiccup to the red-haired woman.

" Sure." Smiled Mar.

" Why...Why is the little boy so...? "

" Hostile ? " Finished WarBear.

" Yeah..."

WarBear nodded slowly, pursing his lips. " He was already captured and on the ship when I got there...Which was four years ago."

Hiccup's eyes widened. _Four years !?_

" He wasn't considered ' High-value merchandise '. So the guards could unleash their anger and cruelty on him. Some did things they did to him that would make a grown man cry. He was their means to have some cruel fun... "

" Ye' don't wanna know..." Said Mar, shaking her head in dismay.

" He lashes out to anyone now. He's scared. And won't simply won't trust anymore."

" On tha' ship, I was in tha' cell next te' him...I couldn't even get the wee laddie to tell me his name."

Hiccup was dumbstruck, he couldn't say anything. What was there to say ?

" Those animals had a lot to pay for..." Concluded WarBear." ...Which reminds me..." He lifted his heavy frame from the wooden stool and padded out the room, into the forge, and out the front door.

" What's he doing ? " Asked Hiccup, confused.

" I ain't got a bloody clue..." Answered Mar.

Eventually, after a minute or so, the big man entered the small cottage once more and sat himself back at the table. He dropped from his large dark palm a small golden object onto the table.

A golden tooth. Still bloodied at the base.

" Can you do me a favour ? " Boomed the big man to Hiccup, who was staring down in disgust at the golden object.

" Uh...Sure ? "

" I want you to smelt this."

" Why ? "

" It was my wife's ring. When the animal raided my village, he killed most, enslaved several, and took my wife for the night. During the night, she kicked the bastard's tooth out. So he had her finger cut off and her ring melted into a new tooth."

Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut, horrified.

" She was without value after that. A slave without a finger was useless. So he had her killed. And now, I'd like to keep what little is left of her."

" I...Wh...W-What should I make with the gold ? "

" If you accept. I'd like an amulet please. An amulet of polished wood, with the golden design embedded in the centre. Would you do that for me ?"

Hiccup nodded, fighting his tearful eyes. " What should the design be ?"

" Make it..." The man looked up from the small gold object that twinkled in the candlelight and stared into Hiccup's watery emerald eyes. " ...Make it a dragon."


	18. Chapter 18

When Hiccup awoke, he found himself sitting up against the far wall of his living room/ bedroom. The room was silent, other than the sound of the Persian man snoring loudly. Everyone else was either unconscious on the floor or sitting up against a wall, lost in the depths of their sleep. All but WarBear, who was currently missing.

Hiccup frowned in confusion and got up, he quietly crept out the room into the forge, making sure not to wake the blissful sleepers. When he reached the metalworking room, the hearth was out and all was dark. But through the thick darkness he saw the little boy, still curled up against the round brick structure. The blonde glared daggers at Hiccup through grey eyes, who averted his gaze and padded towards the front door. He pulled it open. The wood creaked agonizingly slowly, piercing through the morning silence. Early light flooded into the room, before fading away as the teenager closed the door behind him.

Mist formed before Hiccup's mouth as he breathed. The morning cold numbed his cheeks and nose.

The clearing was white. But more noticeably, it was flat. Hiccup had expected to wake up this morning and find little white mounds of snow littered around the clearing. The remnants of the skirmish, covered in snow. But there were no bodies, no. It was as if nothing ever happened.

" They did a good job" Said a booming south-African voice.

Hiccup jumped out of his skin and gasped. He turned to see WarBear to his left, leaning against the log wall of his house, chuckling. His left knee was bent and his foot was up against the wall. His thick arms, were of course crossed. As per habit.

" You scared me..." Chuckled the boy, a hand on his panting chest.

The large man kept chuckling lightly." I am sorry. I did not mean to."

Hiccup shook his head. " It's fine."

" As I was saying, your dragons did a good job clearing things up."

" Yeah..." Said Hiccup, scanning the clearing, baffled and confused ( baffused ). " We didn't ask them to though..."

" But that's what they do for their family." Said the giant man, smiling. The first true smile of his that Hiccup had ever witnessed. He truly had understood.

" We're going to need to hunt today..." Said Hiccup suggestively.

" I wish to help." Said WarBear. Simply.

Hiccup chuckled." I hoped you'd say that."

" It's the least I can do."

Hiccup nodded thankfully " We need a little more food for tonight, and most of you need proper clothes." He gestured at WarBear's bare torso, unaltered despite the weather. " We could sell the hides on the neighboring island in exchange for some cheap wool stuff to wear."

" I'm not the one that needs clothes the most. It would be more of a matter of dignity. But I agree with you: It is, after all, winter. "

" Yeah...Are you any good with a bow ? "

" I may be a little rusty, but I was a warrior in my past life."

" Good. I think we have a spare one or two lying around."

" Excellent, I know Arash is a good shot too."

" Arash ? "

" The Persian sleeping in your house as we speak. The one sounding louder than a volcano."

" Ah, him..."

They both chuckled.

" His name means 'Bright Arrow'. He was named after one of his peoples' legendary heroes. Or so he told me."

" I'll get him to tell me tale."

" Mh...I'm sure it'll be his pleasure. But I'm curious to see _you_ and your crossbow at work."

Hiccup smiled cheekily." I think your focus will mostly be on the nadder."

WarBear fell silent, an unsure expression clouded his face.

Hiccup mentally kicked himself for bringing that up. He just wanted to show them that it was possible to live in harmony with dragons.

" Well...Uh...I mean... If you're not comfortable hunting with him, then I'm sure he'll accept to hunt on the other side of the island."

" No, no, it's fine. It's just...I'll have to get used to hunting with one of the deadliest creatures in this world."

" Don't worry."

" I'm not worried."

" Of course you aren't."

* * *

Hiccup knocked as softly as possible on Qwynel's door. The ageing lady opened it slowly, smiling softly when seeing the young teenager's goofy smile.

" Well you're up early." She remarked, whispering.

" How are they ? " Said Hiccup, gesturing over Qwynel's shoulder. She looked back into the dark room before facing Hiccup again.

" Overall, okay...Some cuts, bruises, minor fractures they've had for ages. No, the most worrying are their wrists and ankles. They've been worn raw and many have gotten infected."

Hiccup grimaced.

She continued." I've got enough supplies, but I'd like to check everyone's limbs today."

Hiccup nodded. " Ok...Well I'm mounting a small hunting party. We'll be out for the day."

Qwynel frowned. " Hmm...Don't take anybody unfit for the task..."

" I'll only take the ones that can't stand. " Said Hiccup, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

" Hilarious. " Deadpanned the woman. " But seriously though. Some want to somehow repay us for what we've done, regardless of their condition." Said Qwynel, dead serious. " Don't let them."

Hiccup lost his smug smile and nodded again. " Noted. See you later."

" Good luck _kid_." She snarked just before closing the door.

Hiccup sighed.

She called him 'kid' again.

* * *

The three guests looked up at the nadder. Well, the Persian and the Saxon did. WarBear was so large that his eyes were level with Jitters'. The dragon cocked his head, observing the three humans that stood four metres away as they did the same. His foot tapped energetically and incessantly into the snowy ground, progressively digging a small pit.

Hiccup was standing before him, clad in his armour and wielding his undeployed crossbow.

" Thank you for cleaning up." Said the boy to the dragon.

The nadder bowed his head slightly and squawked. " **It's the least we could do.** " Then threw his head towards the forest. " **It was Toothless' idea. He couldn't stand the thought of you waking up to see all of it again.** "

Hiccup, got the general gist of the message. " Is he still sleeping ? "

Jitters rolled his eyes and gave what could have been interpreted as a snort. " **Yup...Still sleeping his life away...** "

Hiccup sighed and shook his head " I don't know why we put up with him... We'll let him be. I guess he deserves it." Concluded the boy.

He turned around to face the three other members of the improvised hunting party. They looked like they had seen a ghost. Though for them, a human casually conversing with a dragon was close enough to an otherworldly apparition.

" Uh...Should we set out ? "

WarBear was the first to snap out of it.

" He's right. We should be off ! The sun won't hang in the sky forever..."

" Uh...Yes ! Well said..." Blurted the Saxon, awkwardly. Trying to keep the situation stable

And so they set off. And spent the day hunting, talking, and trying to bring back the most game possible. As per custom, Hiccup and Jitters were constantly trying to outperform the other. It was surprisingly competitive and rather enjoyable for the visitors to watch.

Naturally, Jitter won.

* * *

When they returned the sun was setting. And light snow was peacefully drifting downwards. The slaver's ship had been looted earlier that day. They kept the massive ship intact of course, but took any weaponry, clothing or supplies they found.

In all three houses, people set themselves down for the evening meal, more cheerfully this time. The night dragged on, some slept, some talked amongst the Drekians, until the entire island fell silent. The ex-slaves were well-rested, fed, watered , free, and a little more trusting. Things were looking up. For all but one.

* * *

The next morning, Hiccup awoke to Arash, the Persian archer, shaking him until his bones rattled, trying to wake him.

" The kid's gone ! " The man blurted urgently.

Hiccup, who was still waking up, suddenly snapped wide awake and shot from the wooden floor to his feet. His brain suddenly active. He burst into his forge, only to see that the frail curled up figure was absent. He rushed outside, to find the shapes of some of the guests and all the Drekians through the fog, wildly discussing their course of action.

This morning was particularly foggy. One couldn't even see the end of his extended arm. The white surrounding blocked out the sun and left eerie shadows crawling just out of sight. There could be no worse conditions to search for a missing person. Well, maybe that combined with hail. Though that isn't impossible so far north.

Hiccup reached the small group, closely followed by Arash. They were all huddled in a circle. Most of the ex-slaves were still in the house, unable to move, or simply weren't woken yet.

" We should spread out, comb the island. The more we are, the more chances we'll have of finding him." Suggested a Greek woman.

" No. We don't know this island, most of us won't return until the fog lifts." Noted WarBear.

" And it could be days until it finally does. Battling against the weather around here is a bad idea." Added Lucia.

" Well what do you suggest ? Do you have a better idea ? " Protested a young Saxon man. Tall, strong, and youthful, but with a bandaged leg.

Hiccup cut in." Er...I might."

All gazes turned on him.

" We could mount a small search party, only the fittest. I'll go with you, and so will Sep' and Blues."

All gazes now shifted to the small boy with his friend perched on his shoulder. A smile grew on the boy's face. His eyes lit up. " We know the island like the back of our hands. Or, paws...We can find him in no time !" Blues gave a light yap of approval, as if backing her friend's point.

" Good, you go on ahead, we'll follow."

And so, they took off, in search for the vanished little boy. There was a total of seven in the group : Hiccup, Arash, WarBear, Marcus, Blues, Septimus and Marsaili. They all chose to come. Despite the fog, and despite the freezing weather.

All that to find a boy. A poor boy that was lost in more ways than one.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi ! Another chapter it seems...That or you are in a hyper-realistic dream. But then again...No one would dream about my story.**

 **I haven't gotten much feedback over the past few chapters and I'm worried people are finding it boring or if they dislike the new characters...I'd appreciate if you tell me what you think. It'd give me an Idea of exactly how bad I'm writing.**

 **AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaanyways, this chapter is a poor attempt at an emotional scene. One of my first and most probably my last by the looks of it...So...Enjoy ? I guess ?**

* * *

The little blonde boy was curled up next to the forge, about to snap. His mind was as bent as it could be. He was hungry, tired, and his face as worn as piece of metal washed up by the sea. His sore body protested, aching for him to get up, to do something, to move at all. But he didn't have the strength. Or did he ?

Everyone else was sleeping, he could hear the Persian in other room, snoring louder than a volcano. He hated the snoring. He hated the man. He hated this house. He hated everything.

He just wanted to be away from here.

He glanced across the room with dark and hopeless fire in his eyes to the house's front door. Early morning light seeped into the room at the foot of door. He could leave. Just go for a walk.

He got, up, pressing a hand against the stone hearth as his weak knees screamed at the new effort. His legs felt like they were on fire under his weight. His back felt heavy as he straightened himself, he felt every bruise and cut that deformed it as he stumbled to the door.

He got to the thick wood barrier. Placed both palms on it and pushed, with what little might he had. The door creaked open, slowly. And it wasn't long before the little boy managed to slip past the small opening out into the fog.

He felt his feet, unprotected by their meagre rags against the freezing snow-covered ground. He saw his breath pushing steam through the air. His body wracked with shivers. The fog, made him blind. Though it seemed he could see further through the mist than he could through his own mind.

He started walking, in no particular direction, just towards the forest. His legs fueled by broken thoughts. Soon enough, the unfamiliar crunching of his feet through the snow brought him within the kingdom of trees. Pines faded in and out of existence through the smog as he trudged through the forest. Pines materialized in front of him, emerging from the fog before disappearing once more behind him as he walked.

He felt his blood pump through his bony fingers, he felt the creak of his skeleton as his legs walked. He felt his ragged breathing in his cold chest. The wind ruffling his blonde spiky hair. His purple eyelids were heavy. His lips grew blue. The sound of his feet in the snow.

 _Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch..._

He reached a small lake. As frozen as his thoughts. Reflections against the smooth ice could barely be distinguished through the white fog. The boy crouched down by the water's edge. He peered down at his own broken reflection staring straight back at him. With his bruised triangular jawline, worn brow and red eyes. He touched the ice with numb fingers, as if trying to run his fingers across the disfigured face in the ice.

It was horrible. Ugly. An illustration to his current state. A representation of what he was. Because that's all he was...A bruised boy with a sad past, no future, and too many scars.

Anger overcame him. He snarled, his eyes lit up with flickering fury. He grabbed a pebble from under the snow beside him and smashed it through the ice, shattering the reflection and sending water up in the air.

The anger left him. He was drained.

He wanted to cry, but tears wouldn't come.

He looked up, away from the horror, and wondered if he could walk across the lake. Would the ice break ? Shatter and snap like his mind ? Succumb under the weight and pressure ?

* * *

Septimus and Blues stopped, the boy leant against a tree, panting, while the dragon settled on his shoulder. They stared downhill, towards the lake. The very lake where they first met Jitters.

There, a small figure was crouching by the frozen lake. Just gazing out, contemplating the act of walking across it. Septimus padded down to the boy, he knew he'd heard him. But he remained crouched, unmoving. The Roman placed a hand on the boy's bruised shoulder. AN attempt to be friendly, or reassuring. He knew the boy wasn't well.

" You have to go back..." He said kindly. Getting straight to the point before the lost one caught his death in the cold.

In a flash, the troubled child was up and swung a right-handed punch into the Roman's jawline, sending him hurtling backwards only to collapse in the snow, stunned. Blues, who was stationed on his shoulder, fluttered up when her friend collapsed, and, once he fell on his back, landed on his chest. Hissing and growling, warning the troubled child that his next action would be his last.

The attacking boy just stood there. Snarling through gritted teeth, with clenched fists and hateful eyes. His way of coping with his troubles.

Septimus groaned as he regained his bearings. Lights danced before his eyes. He rubbed his jaw and sat up, and Blues hoped onto his dizzy head, still growling. At that moment, the small search party that had been following Septimus and Blues showed up further up the ridge, only to pause and take in the situation.

Hiccup ran a hand through his hair when he took in the situation, deducing recent past events. " Oh boy..."

The Persian man seemed confused. " Wait...Did he just... ?"

" Down Septimus ? I think so." Finished Marsaili.

Septimus eventually got up and backed off to a safe distance away from the snarling boy before turning to the distant group. Gesturing with his hand and shoulders that he didn't know what to do.

Hiccup waved him over and started walking down towards the lake.

" What are ye' doing ? " Asked the Scot.

" I'm going to get him back into a warm house before he freezes. " Said the boy resolutely.

" You can't do that ! The boy's mental ! " Remarked Arash.

" If there's anybody who can, it's Hiccup." Said Marcus, a little sourly. That kid had after all just downed his little brother with a right hook. And the brotherly side of his mind was telling him to beat the transgressor to a pulp as a lesson. But he knew the kid wasn't well. He'd let him be.

" If he can't convince him. Then there won't even be any point in forcing the child back into safety." Said WarBear, gravely. " He'd just leave again, simply become even more violent, even more lost."

" Then we should leave them be." Said Marsaili, saddened by what she was witnessing. " I don't think it's good idea to scare the young'un, we aren't helping 'Iccup by being here."

" Agreed." Said WarBear, uncrossing his arms and turning back towards the clearing. " Master Marcus, would you be so kind as to lead us back to your settlement ? "

" Yeah..." Said Marcus, frowning, lingering a little longer on the sight of his friend approaching the unstable boy, a little worried. He turned away and placed an arm around his shorter brother beside him, who was muttering something like ' I'm fine...Doesn't hurt... it's nothing'.

They walked back to the clearing in silence.

* * *

The boy just stood there, fists still clenched, glaring daggers into Hiccup. The auburn-haired teen didn't let that get to him. He stopped, not too far off as to seem intimidating. And waited. He wasn't going to push the boy around, ordering him to return to warmth. That had proven itself ineffective already.

Time passed. No one moved. Hiccup decided to sit, cross-legged on the albeit cold ground, but at least it made him seem resolute and less imposing. More time passed. Hiccup decided to enjoy the morning air, as well as the strange feeling of the now diluting fog around them.

" Why are you here ? " Said the boy, bitterly, after failing to guess the answer himself.

" Because I want to help." Answered Hiccup. Calmly, simply. Truthfully.

The boy frowned. " That's not true. Why do you even care ? " He spat.

Hiccup would answer any question that came, because that's what the boy needed. Answers, and a little clarity in his life.

" Because when I see you, I see who I was a long time ago." It wasn't that long ago. But it felt like another life. Or a very realistic dream for which he sometimes suffered the consequences.

The boy didn't answer anything. He just turned his back to Hiccup, and stared back into the icy lake.

Hiccup wasn't discouraged. " I-I don't know what you went through. And I probably don't want to know..." The blonde boy winced at the memories, trying to evict them from his mind. "...but I think I have a vague idea."

" No you don't." He said, raising his voice towards the end. Anger making it's mark once more.

Hiccup continued, this could work. He just needed to push a little more. " The feeling that whatever you do, you can't escape it. You can't prevent it..."

The boy snapped again." YOU DON'T KNOW ! " He yelled hoarsely at the lake. His voice like a thousand rusty horns, echoing through the morning silence.

" ...That feeling, that you are the weakest, and most helpless piece of bone and skin that anything has ever punched or mocked." Pursued the teenager, sensing he was approaching his objective.

" I-...I..." Attempted the boy...Breathless. Out of anger. Out of rage. He sank to his knees. His hands fell limply to the snowy ground at his sides, tears streamed down as he silently sobbed. Sniffling every now and again.

He sank to his knees. His hands fell limply to the snowy ground at his sides, tears streamed down as he silently sobbed. Sniffling every now and again.

Hiccup could tell he was crying, even though he could only see the kneeling boy's back. Shaking slightly as he sobbed. Barely covered by the ripped grey tunic. This was progress, despite its appearances. The boy was crying, releasing pent-up emotion. Hiccup could remember how much it helped, when he spent hours soaking Toothless' scales with his tears back on Berk. He remembered the horrible feeling of bottled up emotions, and then the liberating one that came by releasing it all. So Hiccup waited. He waited until the sniffling finished. He ignored the

The memories of Berk hurt Hiccup. If not for a second. It felt as if someone had poked your heart with a sharp stick.

So Hiccup waited. He waited until the boy's sniffling finished. He ignored the cold, and observed the gradually disappearing fog. This might just work.

" What's your name ? " Asked the teenager softly, when he deemed the crying to have stopped.

Silence. The boy remained turned away.

" You do have a name right ? "

The boy shook his head, though not facing Hiccup.

Hiccup's eyes widened." You don't have a-...? Well... I guess you'll have to pick one."

The boy's head perked up. Though as Hiccup couldn't see his face, he couldn't tell if it was astonishment, interest, or anger.

Hiccup chuckled." Believe me, I know how annoying it is to be called 'kid' all the time..."

Silence, the boy's hands twitched lightly. He turned his head to the side, peering over his shoulder at Hiccup with the corner of his right eye. The wet streak that ran down his cheek gleamed in early morning light, finally piercing through the vanishing fog.

" Why are doing this ? " He croaked, weakly.

" Because I spent fifteen years like you, and I'm hoping to help you break out of it earlier than I did."

The kid turned his head back at the lake.

" And you think you can just... _Fix_ everything ?" Said the boy bitterly.

Hiccup sighed. His eyes started to sting from incoming tears.

" No, not everything. I don't think I had it as bad as you...Or in the same way..." Hiccup looked down at his fumbling hands resting on his crossed legs. He felt his own voice starting to break as he spoke. He was loosing his emotional facade. "...But the only way I broke out of it. Was to get rid of the source of my problems...And then meet someone."

" And...And you think you're that someone ? " Scoffed the boy bitterly and sarcastically. A strange combination with his raw voice. Hiccup could only imagine the frown on his face. The arms resting by his side tensed up.

" Maybe...That's up to you."

Moments passed. Hiccup, staring down at his hands. The boy, kneeling away from him, staring out at the frozen lake, covered by its misty blanket. A gush of wind ruffling blond and auburn hair. Hiccup shivered in the cold. He need to get to warmth, ere he get sick. And the boy too, but the teenager knew there was no forcing him.

" Look, I'm going to head home now...You can follow me if you want. The fog's lifted so, you should be able to find your way back..." He sighed. "But that's entirely up to you." And with that, he got up and trudged away, feet crunching in the snow.

* * *

Hiccup didn't go home, no, instead he walked around the forest, to clear his mind. He knew the kid wouldn't return to warmth immediately. It'd take him at least an hour to make up his mind. And another to summon the courage. He wanted to help the kid, he really did. But he was terrified of what would happen if couldn't.

He pushed the thoughts aside and enjoyed his walk. A casual stroll, but with a purpose. He took in the silence, the perfect, undisturbed layers of snow that he admired every winter on Dreki. He never got tired of it. After a while of walking through the white forest, he came across a familiar and welcome sight.

It was tracks. But not any tracks. Those were the tracks of a very particular dragon. A stick, rested in the snow in the middle of strange markings. A single line swirled around it in a messy abstract manner, without order, crossing itself several times before coming to a sudden stop.

Hiccup smiled.

" Hey bud ? " He cooed. " I know you're here somewhere." He looked around himself, scanning his environment. Expecting to be ambushed at any moment.

Suddenly, a rather mischievous black night fury dropped from a tree and landed right in front of the teen with a 'thump'. His pink tongue flailed around out of his mouth, similar to a happy dog's. The surprised boy yelped and stumbled back, falling on his back in the snow like a half-empty sack of potatoes. The dragon didn't hesitate a second and started assaulting his human with licks.

Both were happy, even though one was uselessly protesting against the assault. They hadn't seen each other in a long time. At least that's how a couple of days felt for them. Several hours together did them much good.


	20. Chapter 20

Hiccup was alone, in his forge. Two of the many guests slumbered in the next door room, too weak to do anything, enjoying the little comfort and peace they'd desired for so long.

The teen was sitting at a stool, bent over his workbench, carving out the clay mold with the help of a small pen-shaped metal tool. The mold would harbour the molten gold, turning the vulgar tooth, into a beautiful representation of the dragon stoker class insignia. This demanded ultimate precision and patience, something the boy was good at.

The auburn-haired teenager concentrated on his task, yet despite his best efforts his mind wandered elsewhere. He thought of the boy, that he'd tried to convince to return to warmth not twenty minutes ago. He hoped he would. He prayed he could help him. He reminded him of himself, a bit more than a year prior.

A stomach-wrenching though crossed his mind.

What kind of person would have he become, had he not met Toothless ? Who would he be now ?

Whatever the answer to that question was, he didn't want to find out. And that's why he hoped he'd be able to help the little boy.

* * *

The young blonde child's hand hovered before the wooden door. It trembled, but not from the cold.

He started to wonder why he was here. What made him leave the calm, frozen lake, and refuse to walk over the ice, only to come here. He didn't know the answer. He never did. But he subconsciously hoped he'd find out inside. And before his resolve tumbled like a card castle, he forced his hand against the wooden door. Sounding three hollow knocks in a rapid, successive, series. He waited, he could see steam rise with his breath from his numb lips.

He could hear some shuffling through the door, coming from inside. Followed by some tripping, a yelp, a loud 'clang !', some muttering. And suddenly, the door yanked open and Hiccup stood in the doorway, clutching his side and wincing in pain.

The child averted his gaze to the ground. His shaking hands fell limp on either side of his thin body.

Hiccup wordlessly stepped aside, inviting him inside. He was relieved he was back, there was no doubt. But the teen was also terrified. What if he failed ? What then ?

The little boy walked in and immediately went for his spot by the forge's hearth. But he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the cushion and blanket set up on the floor where he used to lie. To be honest, it wasn't so much of a cushion as it was a cloth bag full of straws. But it was the closest thing to a cushion on Dreki.

The boy wanted to look at Hiccup, and figure out why he did all that. Why he set those there, why he bothered for his comfort. But he kept his mouth shut and simply sat down against the cushion, though still discarding the blanket aside. But deep down, he wanted to wrap himself in it, forming a warm, safe, silent cocoon.

Hiccup went into the next room, and returned into the forge with a wooden bowl of hot brew with a spoon dipped in it. He set it down before the boy, and immediately sat back before his workstation. No eye contact, no words, no body language, nothing. He didn't want to scare the little one away. Not when he was so close to succeeding, to getting his trust.

Moments passed and Hiccup resumed his carving, his back turned away from the hearth and the boy. Over the sound of the scratching of his carving, Hiccup could hear the boy take little sips of brew from the wooden spoon. He smiled, he could tell the boy was trying to be stealthy, and not let him know he'd accepted the food. But his body must've been screaming hunger.

Eventually, Hiccup spoke. Trying to get things going. It was risky, but it was the only way to make any progress.

" So uh...You thought of a name yet ? "

Agonizing silence. Hiccup winced, had he gone too far ? Had he ruined everything ?

" Th-There are some pretty cool Norse names too...Well, better than 'Hiccup' at least." He continued, hoping to remedy the situation.

More silence. It obviously wasn't working. He decided to back off, and leave an uncomfortable silence floating in the air rather than let his destructive words chase the poor soul away.

Moments passed. The auburn-haired teen continued his irregular scratching into the mold until it was ready. That, as one might guess, took a long time. Hiccup was a perfectionist, as you know. But he eventually got up, and walked over to the red hearth, which was filled with a bed of calm embers. They were hot, but not blazing. Gold didn't need to be heated that much for it to melt anyway.

As he positioned himself by the hearth, he risked shooting a glance down at the blonde boy. But to his dismay, Hiccup realized he found himself on the receiving end of a deadly glare. The teenager snapped his attention back to the task at hand, realizing that he'd been too forward and would have to give the kid some time to cool off before attempting anything else.

He grabbed a small pipe-shaped kettle, about the size of one's palm, that was lying on the anvil. He caught it by it's long, thin arm that reached thirty centimeters out, and dropped the small gold tooth he pulled out of a pocket into it with a small _'clink'_.

Hiccup tried to ignore the younger boy's hostile observation, setting his mind on his work. It was harder than it sounded.

He positioned the small kettle over the ember bed, before dropping the containing part right into the middle, burying it to the rim in the little red stones. He waited, a couple of minutes, making last little adjustments to the mold. And when the gold was completely molten, he gloved his hands with thick, brown protections, and took hold of the kettle's arm once more, before bringing it over the anvil.

There, he had set down the small, square, light gray mold. He held the kettle arm with both gloved hands, gently pouring the shining liquid with a concentration that couldn't have been broken if it was hit with a sledgehammer.

The liquid poured like water, and looked like the sun itself was flowing down into the mold.

The little blonde boy, couldn't help but feel a little awed. The expertise and skill that seemed to be invested in this activity was impressive to say the least. He found himself wishing he was just as talented at something. Anything. But he wasn't. And he hated it.

When the last drop of gold was poured, Hiccup set the kettle down, put his hands on his hips and stared contently at the full mold. All that was left was to wait. He turned his gaze to the little boy, who dodged it by staring at his feet.

Hiccup gave an internal sigh. One of deflation and irritation. He felt like he was getting nowhere. Well, at least the boy was back in a house, away from the deadly cold.

" I'm gonna go to the neighbouring island to get some clothes for all of you..." Said Hiccup, walking and reaching over to a shelf to grab various parts of his armour. All, but the particularly thick right shoulder pad that bore the red strike class insignia. "...If you need anything just knock at Qwynel's door. Especially if you're hungry." He said, glancing down at the half-finished bowl of cold broth. The boy, remained silent. Still absently staring into the ground, hoping the teen would just go already.

He walked over to one of the tables that were set against the wall, he grabbed a brown leather purse that jingled as he hooked it to his armor's belt. He walked over to the door with his helmet under his arm, opened it with a creak, set a foot outside, but stopped. He turned around, and looked at the little boy.

" Oh and..." This time, the blonde boy dared a glance. He didn't think Hiccup would be looking at him when he did. But he was startled to see the teen's flamboyant emerald green eyes just staring back at him. "...Please don't go outside again, not until we get you proper clothes."

And then... Just then... The blonde boy saw, through his stone grey eyes Hiccup's pleading. Visible in the teen's green eyes, was a sort of caring concern. The kind of look a family member, a brother, or a father, would give to their brother or son, a quiet look that asked him not do anything foolish. A look that said he cared. and because he cared, he suffered. It was a look that said he hated to see him like this, and that he was afraid. Afraid he'd try to walk across the lake again.

Finally, Hiccup broke the look off, deciding to end on a positive note. So he gave a goofy, crooked smile, a smile only found on his face, before walking off. The door clattered shut in his wake, and the little boy caught himself staring at the door a long while after the teen was gone. Something about that look Hiccup gave him hit close to home, prodded at his heart. And he wasn't sure if he liked it.

* * *

 **Next time we'll have a look at other Drekian/Guest interactions, make the story and focus a little more varied. I hope you enjoyed ! Please tell me what you think.**


	21. Chapter 21

**First off : Thank you all so much for reading this story, I'm sure you all heard this kind of rant before but it needs to be said, because it's the truth.**

 **Secondly : People have been asking what would happen to Hiccup in the romance department. To that I answer : Don't worry, I have plans for him... _But_...He has a lot to go through before finally meeting the second person to steal his heart (The first being Toothless of course).**

 **And with that all said and done, I bid you good reading and an excellent day indeed ! *Tips top hat before striding off ***

* * *

Proper clothing had been bought for the ex-slaves. Hiccup and Toothless had flown over to Dànor and returned with Toothless holding a large ballot below him. Now people were clothed, rather unstylishly, but in a manner that was more adapted to the near-arctic climate.

Two days passed, during which the guests spent their time either helping with various tasks or recovering. Nothing of much importance happened then, other than the fact that people were adjusting to their newly acquired freedom.

The little boy, was still as troubled, and as distant. He persisted with his constant hostile glares, or his outbursts of anger and violence if he was pushed too far. He remained by the hearth at all times, and Hiccup really wished he could do something to help the boy become...Normal ?

No. Not normal.

Better.

He needed to get better.

But Hiccup nevertheless decided to back off for a while, knowing that the recent changes were rather brutal and sudden for the child. He needed time. And carefully regulated human interaction.

* * *

Qwynel sat down at her small table, flopping down on the wooden stool with an exhausted sigh. The light was dim, maintained merely by a candle, the evening was young, and the sun set early in this white season. Four more were around the table, quietly sipping their meat-based soup. An other three, more sickly guests were resting on improvised beds in the neighbouring room. They, had the privilege of the fire, and slumbered all day, basking in the warmth of the nearby hearth as they recovered from infections, disease, and exertion.

" OOoohh..." Complained the triple-braided woman with an exhalation. " I've never experienced anything worse than feeling meself get old..." A couple of chuckles circled the table. " Yet, here I am...Having the best years of my life."

A man, by the name of Erlend, ageing, like Qwynel, looked up from his bowl to the woman's face. His grey stubble and dark hair, streaked with white, made him a veteran of sorts. He'd had many owners, some better than others. He rubbed a creased hand against his marked temple, a habit he'd adopted since he was branded.

Qwynel liked the man. He was kind, humble...Not to mention... _Well built_ for his age.

A warm smile crept up the corners of his mouth, bending his face, bringing out the charming lines and creases of age as well as his olive skin. His deep, brown eyes stared into Qwynel's. There was something about that man, Qwynel felt it. His time in this world, as well as his experience and suffering made him a ripe soul. Seasoned with the spices of an unfortunate life. Yet, his brown eyes kept that glow that was found in most young faces. A glow, especially present in Hiccup's emerald eyes, or Septimus' when he heads out with Blues every morning to pace the island.

That glow, was something that was hard to keep. Qwynel knew that more than anyone, she had lost it long ago. That little lad too, the nameless. She had seen the look in his eyes when she'd tried to check his wrists and ankles for wounds the other day. His grey eyes had lost...Well, everything. All but the spark life, that was the only glow left in that child's eyes. And it was hanging by a thread, it was a failing light, merely fueled by hate, anger, confusion, and fear.

" I wish I could say as much..." Said the man, with a smile. His pupils reflected the flickering candlelight. " I've felt much worse than getting old...But, I must compliment you and your friends..."

" Why so ? " Asked Qwynel.

" I'm having the best week of my life here ! " He chuckled heartily. " What with freedom combined with your cooking...! " He raised his full spoon up to make his point before bringing it to his mouth.

" Aye." Agreed a woman with blonde locks. " Best soup I've had in years."

Qwynel gave a throaty chortle. " Flattery will get you nowhere my friends."

The man pursed his lips and fake-punched the air. " Aw damn ! I really thought I'd get a second serving if I played my cards right !"

" You can't fool me." Said Qwynel with a smirk, dipping the copper ladle into the pot that resided in the centre of the table. The copper serving tool disappeared beneath the sea of tasty brown, before reemerging, full of the delicious liquid. She masterfully navigated the ladle over to the man's bowl, before pouring its contents into it, creating a tumultuous brown sea. The man's smile grew as his bowl filled, he looked up at Qwynel, raising a questioning eyebrow.

" And what might I have done, to deserve _this_ ? "

" Well, if you keep giving that charming smile of yours maybe you'll get a second serving..." She gave the man a playful wink.

" *Ahem* Should we leave you two together ? " Snarked a greek man with a scar on his cheek. A knowing smile was painted across his face, the kind of smile you'd find on teenage boys' faces when they're sharing dirty thoughts.

The other visitors giggled, trying to contain it.

" Hush your mouth and finish your soup man ! Or I'll slap you over the ear with a wet kipper !" Snapped Qwynel, not in the least angry.

" Someone's not getting a second serving..." Remarked Erlend.

Qwynel stared at the Greek for a minute, stroking her chin, pretending to consider her options. " MMmh..." She concluded, reaching for the ladle once more. " Heh ! I'm not that cruel, he can have a second serving." she said, serving the man.

" How generous of you, your royal highness." Played Erlend, giving her that smile with his ragged lips.

Qwynel smiled and turned to others around her table. " Ya' see ? You should follow his example ! " She joked. " At least he knows who's boss ! "

* * *

Septimus opened the door to his house, pushing against it with his right shoulder. He stepped into the warm main room with flushed cheeks and a chirping terrible terror on his left shoulder. Many of the guests, who were sitting around the fire-pit in the centre of the room, widened their eyes in surprise at the blue and green shape resting on the boy's shoulder. But they quickly calmed their flashing instincts, it was hard to get used to living around dragons.

Septimus took off his leather gloves as Blues leaped from his shoulders, gave a single thrust of her wings, before landing on the wooden table. She landed by the large wooden plate at the centre of the table, on which a gargantuan amount of cooked fish was disposed in the shape of a vortex. She sniffed it, planning on taking a bite. Not a big one.

But as she approached her open mouth to one of the ex- fish's head, a voice sounded in an interruptive tirade. " Nuh-uh ! " Said Marcus.

Blues snapped her head around to see the lanky Roman teenager, sitting on a stool, with his back leaning against the wall and his feet propped up on the table. He was cleaning his glaive with a white cloth and shaking his head with an amused grin.

" You have to wait till we all sit down to chow before taking a bite !"

Blues gave an expression that could only be interpreted as a pout.

" Plus, I cooked this !"

Blues snorted incredulously.

" Nah really, I did."

Septimus, who was hanging his leather coat on a hook on the wall accross the room scoffed. " Hah ! The only thing you can cook here is your own fingers ! "

" Shut up pipsqueak ! You can't even lift a kitchen knife." Teased back the elder brother.

" Actually..." Cut in a rather large Gaul with a blonde braided moustache. He was sitting cross-legged around the fire as was all the other ex-slaves and was resting his head on a hand, who's elbow in turn rested on a knee. " You'll find zat he gutted and sliced ze fish wizout _assistance_." He said, with a somewhat nasal, heavy accent.

" But he could only do it with his sword ! " Said a slim, dark-haired woman with a ponytail and a braid running down her right cheek.

" It's a _glaive_ I told you already !"

The woman rolled her eyes. The others smirked.

" Ah Marcus..." Sighed the Septimus jokingly as he sat down by the fire with the guests to warm himself. "...Swordsman all the way ! " He turned to the guests. " I always wondered how he managed to sleep with it without cutting himself." He piped. The guests laughed.

Marcus, barely appreciated the joke. He frowned, but before he could reprimand his younger brother, a voice sounded and a hand swatted his right cheek.

" Ow ! "

" Feet. Off the table. Now." Nagged Lucia as she passed to go into the kitchen. She had just came from upstairs, checking on the more critical guests who had been assigned to beds.

Marcus obliged, reluctantly, moaning : " Ugh...You do know you're my sister, and not my mother right ? "

" Yah..." She said, zooming out of the kitchen and into the main room again before setting herself down at the table in front of her younger brother with a knife and sharpening stone. " But someone's gotta keep this place together and it sure as heck isn't gonna be you two ! " She gestured to both her brothers. Then her eyes fell on the fish platter in the centre of the table.

" What is that ? " She asked, pointing at the platter, concerned.

" Marcus' attempt at preparing fish." Answered Septimus, concealing a laugh.

" _You_ cooked ? " She asked the teen. Then, before he could answer, turned to the dragon between them. " _He..._ _cooked_ ?! "

Blues nodded with a smirk.

" You can tell can't you ? It's a massacre ! " Snarked Septimus. Marcus fumed silently, pursing his lips and making an admirable effort to contain his outburst of anger and indignation.

* * *

They all sat around the fire in Qwynel's house after moving from the table once the meal was finished. They sat at the foot of the three beds disposed around the fire-pit, talking softly, facial features accentuated by the shadows cast by the orange fire.

The constant sound of the crackling fire filled all with a silent hope, a soothing reassurance. Qwynel, reached in her jacket's inside pocket, and pulled out her long-necked wooden pipe. Those, who weren't sleeping or in a slumbering daze, noticed, and wondered how long it was since they smelt a burning pipe.

She placed a pinch of her own herbs, in the pipe, crushed them with her index, before reaching into the fire-pit for a twig. She took a twig with a flickering flame on its end, and lit her pipe with it before discarding it back into the fire.

Grey smoke floated up to the ceiling in a trail, before being interrupted by Qwynel's first inhaling through the pipe's neck. Soon after, a smoke ring rose, slowly, shaking in a dreamy haze to the dark wooden beams supporting the protective wooden roof.

The smell of burning herbs filled the room, immediately relaxing everyone with it's curative properties.

Across the fire, sat Erlend, with his back against a bed's side as he sat on the floor, like the others. His old yet warm eyes followed the smoke-rings up. A pleasant smile formed on his face, before he too, reached into his newly-acquired jacket pocket.

" I have a pipe too, it's a little different though." He said, softly. And there he drew a curious instrument. It was curved like a sail, composed of multiple cylinders of wood stuck together from the longest to the shortest. " It's called a panpipe " He explained. " Your friend Lucia had the kindness of offering me one, after a conversation on instruments. I told her about it, gave her the details. She did an excellent job, in record time too."

" You're a bard ? " Inquired the Greek man with a scar.

" No, I never was. But my father was, and he taught me how to play this kind of instrument." He put the pipe to his lips, and closed his eyes in concentration. Slowly, the sound appeared, and soon enough, it glided with Qwynel's smoke rings, rising, dissipating, created again to softly drift upwards. The melody soared, like a wave through the air. ( _Sound Of Silence_ \- Simon and Garfunkel ) It was as if all present were hypnotised, bound to listen to the enticing music, enrobing them into a calm trance, a timeless sleep. They stared absently at the fire, ears taking in the music that poured from the pipe, all but Qwynel, who stared at the musician with the light in her eyes.

His eyelids were down, closing off his eyes to the world as his mouth travelled up and down the curved instrument, stopping before cylinders to delicately blow down them and produce the beautiful melody. He did so with a concentration and dedication rivaled only by his emotion invested in the music. The instrument was his world, it seemed part of him. His facial expressions changed with the melody, brow moving, creases forming on his forehead, cheeks contracting as the melody rose, fingers twitching or relaxing. It was like he was pouring his soul and feelings in the melody, seasoning it, giving it taste, giving it life.

And then it finally ended. A long note, sounding until he was out of breath, only to resonate in everyone's inner ear once he stopped playing. The magical tune still floated around like a ghost within everyone's head, it had sown its seed, even though all that was left was the crackling of the fire and the breath of sleepers.

No one spoke, all were asleep, all but Qwynel. But the ageing lady said nothing, she didn't want to spoil it. She just stared across the fire to grey-stubbled man, who stared back with a creased smile and dry lips. The tune still floated around, without being present, letting itself be outspoken, leaving the air free to be overtaken by a sound...

The sound of silence.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hi again !**

 **So, people have been asking if they could have glimpses of Berk every now and again. To that I answer : NO.**

 **I know, it's madness. I'm evicting all of the original story's characters but two. But trust me, there may be madness to my method, but also method to my madness. This all serves a calculated purpose. The point is, we will follow Hiccup and his problems for a while. And like him, we will push Berk away, forget it, not think about it. Hence, the impact will be all the more powerful when we and Hiccup will be thrust back into the world of Berk. I hope you don't disapprove of this plan, cause I'm not changing it. And in the whole, Berk will still be present for a good 30% of the story at least.**

 **Furthermore, I'm sorry if the focus is often centered on Hiccup and the boy. It's because this is one of those parts of the story that will fundamentally change and sculpt the characters.**

 **both of them.**

 **Also a question : Longer chapters less frequently, or current ratio ? (1k/4k words per chap every 3-6 days)**

 **Without further ado, let us commence this ( short-ish )chapter !**

 **Rant Over**

* * *

The room was dark. Soundless, other than the little boy's distressed panting. He lay on the floor, against the hearth's warm bricks, he convulsed and tensed as memories of pain and fear pulsed through him.

He suddenly woke with a start, sitting up, gasping for air as if emerging from under water, gray eyes as wide as saucepans. He frantically looked around for his aggressors, trembling. Wild tufts of dirty blonde hair fell before his eyes, obscuring his already limited vision.

Slowly, the door to the next door room creaked open, and out crept Hiccup, holding a candle, lighting up his face. He hadn't been the only one woken by the young lad's troubles, but no one held it against him. Everyone had nightmares, especially ex-slaves.

The boy shot his head towards him, and his eyes widened even more. He back scuttled noisily to the far end of the room, under a table, in a corner. He curled up and hid his face in his knees, whimpering.

Hiccup walked over to him calmly and knelt down before the workbench, he peered for a while confused, then tried placing a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.

" DON'T TOUCH ME !"

Hiccup recoiled in surprise. Then he realized. He sighed, waddled three steps back and sat cross-legged. He set the candle down before him and observed the terrified creature before him. Sweat gleamed on his pale skin in the candle-light, hands that clenched knees shook, sometimes faltering in their grasp. Unsteady and panicked breaths were drawn, only to be exhaled so abruptly it would have blow out a candle flame every time.

" I'm not gonna hurt you." Said Hiccup softly, just above a whisper.

Nothing. Just more unsteady breathing and shaking.

His words fell like a rock through air.

He remembered having nightmares like that, when he was back on...You know...He used to wake up like the little boy, panicked, confused, disorientated. After waking up, instincts would take over, he wouldn't think straight, he'd be scared of shadows, and all moved and loomed.

But his state would return to normal eventually, he'd manage to calm himself after a while. Then, he met Toothless, and from then on, he'd always have the dragon to soothe him, instantly calming him.

Then again, Hiccup pondered : That kid's dreams must be filled with violence, and unbearable pain, and god knows what else...Until now, Hiccup had only experienced reduced equivalents of those dreams, often involving a scenario or feeling of exclusion, or Toothless dying. Not pain, only rarely, and it always involved his cousin's fists. Whatever his name was...That particular name and face had long since been banished from his mind.

But what he was witnessing right now, was horrifying. Never, had he been in such a state. He could only imagine the poor boy's dreams, their magnitude, and their contents, if they caused such terror. It's been a whole minute, and _only now_ are his breaths returning to a relatively normal rhythm.

" Are you better ? " Asked Hiccup.

The curled up boy sniffled in response. His shaking had reduced.

Hiccup pursed his lips. " I have em too sometimes...They'll get better with time."

" How do you know ? " Croaked the boy with a raspy voice, face hidden in his knees.

" They got better for me, why not for you ? "

"...But you still have them.."

" Yeah, but not as bad as before."

"..."

" I'll be right back." Hiccup got up and padded to the door, opened it, and stepped out into the cold night.

The little boy remained silent as the door creaked shut. He drew slow, shaky breaths. He was in control now, though his nerves were slightly shot. Time flew, immeasurable, and the boy's red and ringed eyes shot alertly to the door once more when Hiccup crept back in, holding something. His vision shot through the dimly lit room to witness the teen walk around the circular hearth, and sit back down in front of the slowly dying candle.

Hiccup stuck out his hand towards the coiled-up boy, in it, an iron tankard. Steam floated out of it, escaping to the great unknown in an attempt to reach the top of the world, only to dissolve a couple of seconds after leaving the heat of tankard.

" It's tea." Said Hiccup softly. The boy was puzzled. " Qwynel just made it, she often makes it for me when I have trouble sleeping, nightmares ruin a night every week or so..."

" I don't want to sleep." Rasped the boy.

A moment passed. Hiccup knew why he wouldn't sleep, it was the fear of more nightmares. Who wants to sleep when it only involves more torment ?

" Fair enough." He set the mug down beside him. " Let's talk."

The boy frowned.

" Why ? "

" Because you want to spend all night under that table, and I want to talk...I guess we're lucky we can do both."

The boy buried his head in his knees again.

" Have you thought of a name ? "

" No." Said the kid, his battered voice muffled by his buried head.

" Ok...Take your time...Cus' you'll be stuck with it all your life. You don't want to be stuck with a name like 'Hiccup'."

The kid's head rose from it's hiding spot, his eyes lingered on the floor, then to the flame, but always avoiding Hiccup. He seemed hesitant, troubled.

He drew a breath, preparing. Before trying : " Wha-..." He started. Hiccup held his breath, he dared to be hopeful." What does it feel like ? " Blurted the child, instantly regretting his attempt.

" Uh...What ? "

It was too late now, he had to go through with what he started. " F-Flying."

Hiccup smiled. He could barely believe it. Conversation !

" Well...It's um...It's hard to describe I..." He stopped himself and sighed. He couldn't mess this up, this was a breakthrough, and he needed to try his best, and not stammer.

" It's surreal, and...Fabulous...When you fly with a dragon, you guess what each one is gonna do, or what he's thinking. It's like both of you make one. You feel invincible, like nothing can catch you, you're so fast...It gets cold up there though." Hiccup fixed his eyes on the candle, and, as he continued his talk, he didn't notice the boy's gaze drift upwards to his face. " I remember the first flight with Toothless, we nearly died flying through sea stacks...Boy was that scary ! But that was one of the best days of my life. And then he shot a plasma shot right in front of us, and we flew straight through the explosion...I smelt of burnt hair for the next two days..."

He looked up from the candle to meet the child's gaze, only this time, the latter didn't withdraw. He just stared on with his cold, hard, grey eyes. A moment passed, then, suddenly, as if the boy was suddenly possessed, he spoke :

" Einarr."

" Wh-...What ? "

" Einarr. That's my name."

Hiccup smiled, a smile of wonder and amazement, hiding his awed mind. It was a Norse name, and he couldn't have chosen better. " Einarr it is."

An awkward silence.

" I- Uh...C-Can I have some of that tea ? " Asked the boy shyly, before coughing.

" Well I'm not gonna drink it." Said Hiccup handing him the tankard before getting up. He padded over to the circular hearth, where he picked up the cushion and blanket before putting them down in front of the boy. Then, he walked over to the shelf, and started equipping his armor.

" Wh- Where are you going ? "

" Well, I figured if you're gonna try and sleep, then I'd go see Toothless. Hopefully go for a...Er...Midnight flight."

" Oh."

Hiccup moved to the door, and opened it. A cool breeze washed into the room, the embers in the hearth reddened at the renewed oxygen. Hiccup turned to the boy, helmet under his arm.

" Don't worry, I'll be back by morning."

And with that, he fit his helmet on his head, and turned to the dark outside. The door creaked shut behind him and a shiver ran down the boy's spine. A shiver that shouldn't even exist.

What had just happened ?

Why had that just happened ?

The questions pummeled Einarr's mind , like punches to the stomach. He couldn't cope. It exhausted him. He was torn. He needed rest. Real rest.

He looked down at the tankard between his hands. The swirling obscure liquid reflected his worn face in the dark, to worn to be young. He hoisted it up to his mouth, slowly, shakily, and took a sip. He felt the warm liquid flood into his mouth. A delicate taste, complicated. He swallowed painfully, an effort he shouldn't have to have done. The warm drink traveled down, soothing, calming. It was the best sip of any liquid he had ever tasted.

A sip was all that was needed for a boy his size, and a mind that tired.


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry this took a while, I was sick, and that meant I was tired, without motivation, and without inspiration. But I'm back, unless the flu is back with a revenge. It also took a little longer because I couldn't get myself to write something I was truly satisfied with. I rewrote this twice, and I'm still not satisfied. But I figured I should just post it.**

 **Enjoy !**

 **Rant Over.**

* * *

Einarr awoke. Peacefully.

Even before opening his eyes, the boy felt a curious sensation. One _we_ experience often, if not every day. But to him, it was an unknown feeling, new, but not unpleasant. It was the feeling of a long night's sleep, it was the feeling of recovering from deep slumber, from proper blissful rest.

Not only that, but it was merely a moment later that he realized he was not where he last remembered being. He wasn't curled up under the workbench in Hiccup's forge, where the beaten dirt ground was hard, and the brick walls harsh. No, now his little body was lying on something soft, and covered with the reassuring weight of thick fabric.

His eyes opened, to find that he was staring up at the ceiling of a room he'd never been in. He sat up, with great effort, resting his weight on a bruised elbow. He found himself alone, in Hiccup and Toothless' room, lying on a hay mattress and covered with a thick brown wool blanket. Besides, him, was a sizeable grey stone slab, thirty centimetres thick and scorched black on top.

His mind didn't linger on the use of the slab, but rather _how_ and _why_ he got into the next door room in his sleep. Let alone how he got himself into the house's only bed. He'd never do that consciously.

There was only one explanation.

Hiccup.

The distant sound of cheering and laughter resonated from outside, and snapped Einarr back to reality. He got up, ignoring painful limbs and cracking joints, he walked unsteadily on weak ankles over to the table. There, he found a loaf of bread on a wooden plate, and a folded set of clothes crowned with a small pair of leather boots as well as note scribbled with charcoal writing.

The boy took the note and stared at it for a while. The runes streaked across the paper, black, and smudged in places. The writer was apparently left-handed. They were pretty, they seemed to dance across the small rectangular page, meaningless to Einarr but nevertheless admirable. Forming parallel lines, closed shapes, triangles and loops, each seeming to carry an importance greater that he ever will.

He put the sheet back down and stared at the clothes.

He picked up the dark red tunic, it fell, unfolding like a curtain as he held it up. It was small, but still slightly too big for him. Probably originally meant for someone slightly older than himself, and with a normal body-mass. He proceeded to take off his ripped adult-sized brown tunic off, discarding it to the floor and replacing it with the newer red one. The sleeves were too long, and covered his hands, and the shirt went down below his waist, but he liked it like that. There was something reassuring about it.

He repeated the process with the trousers, only those were his size. They were grey and slim, and stuck to his thin legs. A piece of string coiled around the waistline, used as a make-shift belt. The boy tightened it in a knot, it didn't look very good, but it was hidden by the over-sized tunic anyway. Besides, Einarr had not a care in the world for how he looked.

Another distant cheer from a small crowd emanated from outside.

His hands caught on the two leather boots. He placed them on the floor, and slipped his feet in. They sunk up to mid-shin, and were tightened by two buckle belts, one going around the foot, the other around the shin. He tightened them, and found they fit him.

A hooded leather jacket lined with wool was all that remained of the set. He took it, running his bony fingers against the soft inside lining before equipping it.

Einarr's gaze now turned to the loaf of bread resting on the plate on the table. He wouldn't eat it. Instead he made for the door, and strolled into the forge. He lingered a while, staring across the silent room to the spot where he had fallen asleep last night, before another wave of cheers from across the front door reminded him of his presence in this world.

He pushed padded to the door and opened it. Sunlight blinded him, but his vision adjusted.

He witnessed the cheering crowd of ex-slaves and Drekians, all standing in a circle in the snowy clearing around a sparring pair. To his surprise, humans, were not the only members of the crowd, but there were also the dragons. Standing there, enjoying the show as much as the others.

Hiccup, was leaning against his night-fury brother, silently watching. He too, curious to see who would win.

The boy walked up to them. Both turned to see him approach. Einarr suddenly realized that he was approaching a night fury. But he swallowed his fear, he told himself : ' I'm not weak, I'm not a coward.'

" Er...Hey." Said Hiccup, surprised to see him there. Speaking to him like he would to a little bird that could fly off any moment.

" H-Hey." Stuttered Einarr, shooting a nervous glance towards Toothless, who peered back with his toxic green eyes, then bowed his head slightly as a greeting before resuming his observation of the fight.

The two fighters in the centre, were WarBear, and the Greek man with a scar on his cheek, Izador. Both wielded long sticks of wood, and turned around each other, waiting for the other to strike. Men and women around them encouraged them, throwing fists to the air and yells to the wind. Some whooped, some whistled, some shouted. And some, like Erlend and Qwynel, just stood there, smiling, curious.

The Greek man was in a fighting stance, with slightly bent knees, wielding the stick as a spear, pointed towards the opponent in the classic hoplite manner, as he was taught long ago. Though it was obvious he found the lack of shield and weight of the bronze disconcerting, and that it affected his fighting stance.

WarBear, seemed in control, he strolled around his opponent, smiling. Psychological warfare was pointier than his stick, and he knew it. He swung it around him expertly twirling it as if he was bored. The old warrior ways were coming back to him. He felt alive once more. He found himself, as if he had just found an old friend.

The Greek man pounced, thrusting his spear forward. The dark-skinned warrior reacted with a speed that could only be described as : ' Faster than his own shadow '. He slammed the hoplite's spear down into the snowy ground with his own, then raised it and swung it around around, interrupting his movement before it connected with his opponent's neck.

" I win." He smiled.

The small crowd exploded into cheers.

Both men stood, and shook hands.

" If I had a shield..." Muttered the Greek.

" True, maybe it would have been harder for me." Chuckled the bald man.

The Greek handed him his stick and went back into the crowd.

" Anyone else ? " Beamed WarBear, arms gesturing to either flanks, pride only _slightly_ getting to his head.

" Yeah ! Me ! " Said Marcus, stepping out into the centre.

WarBear chuckled, and threw him the stick. Marcus caught it, and snapped it in half over his knee, tossing one half to the ground. His opponent raised an eyebrow, but started circling. Marcus, circled too, walking casually just like WarBear, he could play that game too.

Eventually, it was the giant man who attacked first. His blow was deftly parried by the teen, who swung his 'glaive' to knock the thrust for his belly to the side. But WarBear was relentless, and immediately attacked once more, this time swinging the stick around for the Roman's neck.

The boy ducked, the stick skimmed a tuft of his dark hair. He counterattacked by slicing upwards in a diagonal motion, standing up as he swung his 'sword'. WarBear dodged, bending his torso backwards. But his balance was off now, and Marcus attacked again, using his advantage of speed with a lighter weapon. The tip of his 'sword' went for WarBear's chest for a piercing blow.

At that moment, WarBear swung his 'spear' back around for the boy's side. Both blows connected at the same time. WarBear struck in the chest and Marcus in the left flank. Of course the blows were merely with sticks, and their power were limited by their wielders, it was just a spar, but it was still going bruise.

Yells and arguments rose, debating who won.

" It seems it's a draw." Grunted WarBear over the din, rubbing his sore chest.

" I'm not worried, I'll get you in the rematch tomorrow." Groaned Marcus, clutching his bruised side.

" We'll see about that." Boomed the man humorously, walking away and waving a dismissive hand to the sky.

The crowd started dispersing, breaking off into smaller groups of conversation, each heading to their assigned homes, in preparation for the mid-day meal. Hiccup and Einarr turned back towards the house, and Toothless pounced off to join Jitters and Blues for the daily fishing trip.

But a surprising cry tore through the air. A cry of the likes Hiccup hadn't heard in a long time :

" DRAAAGGGOOOONNNN ! " Yelled the Persian, pointing at the sky. Everyone turned and looked upwards, terror in their eyes. A few gasps escaped from a few mouths, slipping from between chapped lips. There was indeed, four winged shapes flying above the island, losing altitude fast. The four shapes seemed to be going for a landing, most likely the beach by the looks of it.

Hiccup smiled, the only one to do so, and broke into a sprint towards the path connecting the sea and the clearing.

" Hey !" Shouted Marsaili. " Where are you going ?! "

Hiccup didn't answer and just kept running in that distinctively 'Hiccup' way. Feet hammering the snowy ground, arms flailing for balance, breath leaving a trail of cold steam behind him, the freezing air biting his nose.

Toothless, was the first to go after him, quickly catching up. But eventually, everyone followed, even Einarr. Albeit he was terrified, wild dragons were dangerous, and a threat was the last thing a recovering mind needed. But he had something to prove to himself. To the world.

So, he set his pained muscles into motion, and followed the small flock, sprinting down the path after the auburn-haired teen and his night-fury brother.

* * *

The path escaped the tree-line onto the snow-covered pebbly beach, Hiccup and Toothless veered right once out of the trees' cover, the flock followed. But they stopped, abruptly, feet and paws digging into the snow. There, about fifty meters away, were four monstrous nightmares, coated with their typical dark orange hue and yellow underbelly. Hiccup counted the 'fins' on their backs, three of them had an odd number of them. They were girls.

One of them seemed rather old, a scar streaked up her nose over her nostril, and a star-shaped stab scar decorated her chest. She, was the first to swivel around to face the little group of unarmed humans and start snarling. Her companions quickly followed suit, flaring their wings, baring their fangs and snarling as menacingly as possible. Intimidation is the best form of defense.

Hiccup, was not deterred. He turned around to face the guests, who had since then backed off a couple of steps.

" Sit down on the ground." He said.

" What ?! " Cried one.

" Are you crazy ?! " Hissed another.

" Yea, a little." He answered, smiling." But sitting down makes you less intimidating. And they won't feel the need to attack."

The guests looked at each other, hesitating. WarBear was the first to sit, sitting cross-legged, looking serene. Marsaili followed, then Qwynel, then Erlend, then everyone else. Only Hiccup, Toothless, Marcus, Jitters, Blues and Septimus remained standing.

Hiccup waved them over, and they came to stand by his side.

The monstrous nightmare's growling faltered, to be replaced by expressions of confusion and disbelief at the sight of unarmed humans sitting down before them, and other dragons standing by them as if they were friends.

Silence took over. Punctuated only by the roll of the freezing waves and occasional gushes of wind.

" So...What now ? " Hissed Marcus.

" No clue." Answered Hiccup.

Blues chirruped from Septimus' shoulder.

" Blues suggests we go say 'hi'..." Squeaked Septimus, unsure if he agreed with his friend's proposal.

"...As opposed to just standing here all day." Conceded Hiccup.

" **Yea let's go !** " Squawked Jitters, who's wings twitched with excitement.

They walked forward in a line, slowly, as calmly as possible.

" **You stick to my side you hear ?** " Crooned Toothless, to Hiccup with a worried tone, nudging his thigh.

" It's gonna be fine."

" **No, it's just that we're outnumbered and-...** "

Hiccup gave a reassuring scratch behind Toothless' earflap. " Don't worry bud. It's gonna be fine"

Marcus kept his eyes on the nightmares, he wished for the reassuring weight of his glaive on his hip, but if all went well, he wouldn't need it. " If things go wrong, you run ok ?" He muttered to his little brother, eyes still locked on the four dragons.

No answer came. He turned his head to frown at Septimus who walked besides him. " You hear me ? "

Septimus merely gave a brief, unreadable glare as an answer before swiftly looking ahead of him. He wouldn't run.

* * *

Meanwhile, Erlend sat amongst the crowd besides Qwynel. The usually composed man was now rather nervous, and struggling not to let it show. He shivered, partly from the cold, partly out of fear.

" Do they know what they're doing ? " He whispered to Qwynel.

" Probably not." She conceded. She too, was nervous and terrified for her family. But she had faith in them, and she was better at hiding her anxiousness. " To be entirely frank, there hasn't been a 100% success rate in befriending dragons."

" What do you mean ?! " Hissed the man, now even more terrified.

" Have you noticed the faint scar on Toothless' skull ? "

" Uh...Briefly yea."

" Well that happened a while ago. I wasn't here yet, but according to Hiccup that was caused by a mad monstrous nightmare."

" You mean like... These type of dragons !?" His voice started quivering.

Qwynel smirked. " Exactly, except they don't have frothing mouths or bloodshot eyes."

" Oh...That's reassuring."

Qwynel chuckled.

* * *

The line of Drekians stopped their gradual advance when they found themselves no more than ten meters away from the line of monstrous nightmares. The family, had stopped growling, and stood confused, undecided as to the action to take regarding dragons and humans standing together before them.

Blues, ran up and down Septimus, scampering across his chest and back or coiling around his legs as a squirrel would around a tree branch. This, was partly a way to express excitement and nervousness, but mostly a way of proving to the nightmare family that there was nothing to fear. And that she and Septimus were totally at ease in each other's presence, regardless of their species, origins, or past.

Toothless, edged a bit closer to Hiccup, who promptly started leaning on his warm, scaled side. As for Marcus, he hooked an arm around Jitter's neck, as he would around another human's shoulder. Jitters answered by interrupting his foot's furious tapping.

The nightmares looked like their brains had just melted, which was understandable. Imagine if tomorrow you found out that pigs could fly, what would your face look like ? Huh ? The only male, shuffled uncomfortably totally at a loss whether or not to act at all. The older one, stared suspiciously, as still as a statue. She had had too many life-threatening experiences concerning humans, and she wasn't ready to let one of those occur again. In fact, she was going to signal the others to fly off, when Toothless and Hiccup stepped forward.

The male took a step back, the two younger females were to shocked to react, and the older one flared her tattered but powerful wings menacingly. She roared, blowing Hiccup's hair back. Toothless bared his teeth and leaped in front of him defensively.

The sitting crowd gasped, tensed up, but remained in position.

" Nononononono ! " Exclaimed Hiccup, struggling to escape from behind his over-protective dragon brother. " Toothless ! We need them to like us ! "

Toothless, paused, relaxed his stance, hesitated, then reluctantly shifted to the side, allowing Hiccup to step forward once more. Hiccup took a cautious step, hid his fear, extended his hand, and completed the ritual by closing his eyes. The leap of faith. The older monstrous nightmare interrupted her furious din, she half-retracted her wings, utterly confused. This went against all she knew of humans ! And she knew a lot ! ( Mostly about their weaponry though ).

Was this a trick ? Some sort of complex ploy ? Humans were crafty creatures, could it be that they would try to gain their trust, only to slaughter them more effectively ? No, it didn't make sense. If the humans intended harm, they would have been swarmed by the lot of them already ! And clad to the ground by a pile of bolas and nets. But yet here they were, sitting in a group, and sending their young ones, _accompanied by other dragons_! And a _night fury_!

This was unbelievable, and as the older dragon's mind stuttered, struggling to comprehend these humans' curious behaviour going against her numerous years of hardened hatred for humans, one of the two younger dragon females stepped forward. She hesitated, looked back, only finding looks in eyes belonging to her peers saying : ' Bad idea !'

She ignored them ( Even dragons can be teenagers and rebellious ), and turned back to Hiccup, who still stood, trembling hand extended.

The she glanced slightly to the left, where stood Toothless, as tense as a bowstring. Glaring at her through toxic green eyes with a look that said : ' If you hurt him. I'll kill you. Painfully.' He was intimidating. Even though he was young for a dragon. But he was a night fury.

Were she human, she would have gulped. Instead, she gave the monstrous nightmare equivalent : A small yet nervous click of the teeth. Something any human would interpret as a dragon preparing to bite into his extended hand. Hiccup's muscles contracted, his teeth clenched, his hand reflexively balled up into a fist and his arm commenced retraction. But he interrupted all that, and opened up his hand again. He needed this to work.

The nightmare took a final step forward, sniffed the teen's hand before making her mind up. She pushed her wide nose into his palm. Hiccup felt the warm scales, the slow heart rate. The dragon, felt his soft flesh, his weak nails, his incredibly fast pulse.

The other three nightmares let their eyes triple in size, their wings fell limp to the ground in amazement. The Roman brothers gave a sigh of relief and the guests who watched from afar let their jaws drop. It was a rather comical display of faces, really. Qwynel chortled, cracking up at Erlend's face. There is no age to be immature, even in dangerous and tense situations.

Einarr, sat cross-legged on the outskirts of the group, towards the front. His face betrayed no expression, but something about the action sparked an idea in his head. What he was witnessing was single-handedly the most incredible and beautiful thing he ever saw. Granted, he was only around eleven or twelve, (he didn't exactly know) and most of his life had been spent as a slave. But this particular moment suddenly became a founding pillar for the boy's mind. This moment, defined for Einarr the words 'beauty' and 'incredible'. These few seconds were more precious to him than you'd think.

* * *

Hiccup finally opened his eyes, and shot a grateful expression and a crooked smile at the monstrous nightmare who currently had her nose buried in his hand. She, returned a glance that said : 'What did I just do ?! '. Hiccup, looked over his shoulder, and yelled at the group : " Anyone wanna 'hi' ?! "

The guests looked at each other, bemused. It took a minute for Marsaili, to get up and be the first to start striding across the snowy beach towards the nightmares. " Are you crazy ?! "

" Are you crazy ?! " Exclaimed the Gaul in his distinctive accent.

" Probably." Answered Marsaili with her accent, making for a colourful if not brief conversation. " But not as much as 'Iccup."

A blanket of silence fell on the group, stunned that anyone would actually take the mad teen's offer to 'Say hi '. But the blanket was quickly burnt away by Arash, who until now had been torn between reason and adventure, something he'd missed and dreamt of every second he spent chained up. And now that Marsaili had just gotten up and was strolling over to Hiccup and the dragons like it was a walk to the well, he had an extra reason to get off his sorry buttocks and start doing things worthy of his name.

He leapt to his feet and strode after Marsaili.

" Argh ! Not you too ?!" Hollered the Gaul.

" I may be branded a madman...But after this, I will never be branded a coward !" Yelled Arash, throwing a hand over his shoulder without looking back.

" You should go..." Whispered Qwynel, leaning into Erlend's ear.

" Nah...I'm too old to be flying around on dragon-back." Answered the man.

" It's not all about flying."

" Then some people will need the company more than I."

At that moment, Izador got to his feet, he walked a couple of steps before swivelling around, looking down at WarBear, who sat cross-legged, arms supporting him.

" Aren't you coming ? "

" No, thank you."

" So you're scared ? "

" I am not."

" But you're not coming."

" I was given two feet, they work well, and I know how to use them. I can tell you, I am not made for the sky."

" And I am ? "

" I suppose if you're tired of the ground, then yes."

" So you're not coming ?"

" You may lose in a fight against me. But you'll be a dragon rider, at least you'll have that over me."

" Very well." And with that, he gave a smile before turning around and walking. And to everyone's surprise, Qwynel, got up and followed.

" I thought you said you were too old to do anything ? " Chuckled Erlend, jokingly.

" Oh I am, just like you...But I noticed someone else over there, who's in the same situation as us."

And with that she turned and walked.


	24. Chapter 24

**A chapter of no significant importance, though it contributes to character building and development. This one precedes a rather important chapter, it's a bit of a break from the action and plot development.**

 **Enjoy !**

 **Rant Over.**

* * *

" You'd think he'd have bonded with one of them..." Muttered Qwynel.

" Yeah..." Answered Hiccup.

" Yet, he hasn't."

" I don't know why."

There was a pause. Hiccup and Qwynel were leaning against the wall of her house, with the front door to their left. Around the clearing, were Arash, Izador and Marsaili, each playfully interacting with their new found dragon friends.

" Haven't you noticed, that anyone who ever bonded with a dragon so far, wanted it ? "

" So...You're saying Einarr doesn't want to meet the person who's most likely going to change his life for the better ? " Scoffed Hiccup, giving her an incredulous look.

" No...I think he wants it, but he's confused."

Hiccup gave her a puzzled look.

" Look, let's take the the example of anyone here who's bonded with a dragon. Every one of us, defied reason and fear to get to place a hand on their noses. And they've done the same thing to place their noses on our hands !"

" Your point being...? "

" I don't have a point...I'm just making an observation. " There was a pause. Both observed the peaceful scene. Marsaili giggled in the distance as one of the younger twin dragonesses pulled a disgusted face after trying out a bowl of spinach.

" I can't believe it..." Said Hiccup, shaking his head. " They've met a day ago, and Mar's already managed to get her to taste spinach ! I never thought it'd go so well."

" She doesn't like it apparently."

" Does 'she' have a name yet ?"

" No...Marsaili and 'she' are working on it."

Hiccup chuckled.

" Have you found a name for your friend yet ? "

Qwynel gave a slight frown. " No...She doesn't like any Norse names I suggest. I guess I'll keep digging."

" It's strange..."

" What is ? "

" That dragons don't naturally have the concept of names."

" Well, I guess their lifestyle never gave them the need. Most of them don't live in giant nests. In fact, there's only one in the whole archipelago."

" True...But they seem to like the idea, it gives them individuality."

" Yeah, when Arash first suggested the name to Baraz, he immediately took it."

" Probably something appealing with the phonetics."

" You should suggest a Persian name to your friend, maybe she'd like it."

" You're right."

Another pause.

Not far off, Einarr got up from the snowy ground and walked over to Hiccup's house. Dragging his feet. He went in, letting the door clatter loudly in his wake.

" What do you think ?" Asked Qwynel.

" Hm ? "

" About Einarr. Why he won't bond."

" I don't know."

" I think you do."

" Why would I ?" Frowned Hiccup.

" Because you're the only one on this island to have exchanged a word, no, _a look..._ with him." Insisted the woman.

" But I don't know !"

Qwynel sighed. " As usual, you underestimate yourself. I tell _over_ and _over_ again : Get rid of your fear and doubt and give a bit of room for ambition ! "

" Ok ! Ok ! I..." He took a deep breath. Though about what he would say. "I guess he doesn't want to..."

Qwynel raised an eyebrow. In the distance, Arash played with Baraz, something similar to tag." He doesn't want to ?"

" Yeah. What you said earlier...About the fact that everyone one of us befriended a dragon because we wanted to ? Well, I think he needs it, but he doesn't want it... At least he doesn't know he wants it."

" I don't get it."

" He just needs time. I... I had fifteen years to realize I needed someone like Toothless. But he... He's only been out of irons for a little over a month !"

" I see your point. Not to mention he's 'met' you, so he must already be pretty shaken up. So do you think he'll ever meet someone ? "

Hiccup glanced to his front door. " Oh, I think he will. We just need to give him the time to realize, that the other half of himself is flying around somewhere out there. One day, they'll find each other."

* * *

Early in the morning, the next day. Einarr had snuck out and taken mind-clearing stroll to the beach. At least, it was supposed to be mind-clearing.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, painting a beautiful red sunrise. The boy dragged his feet, walking, hearing the waves crawl up and down the sand, eyes locked on the snowy ground. His nose was numb from the cold, but he took no notice. His mind was swimming, or rather, barely staying afloat.

There was a time, however brief, when he caught Hiccup sneaking into the forge, trying not wake him. He'd sit down at one of the workbenches, pull out his notebook, and scribble. Einarr never wondered what he'd scribble, he never had the need to know what went through people's mind. But what did intrigue him, was when the auburn-haired teen took a small wooden statuette of he and his dragon brother, and stare. Simply, stare. He'd peer at it under every angle, dreaming.

And Einarr couldn't help but wonder : Why did it make him dream so ?

Two days ago, that question was answered. On this very beach. As he witnessed the befriending of the monstrous nightmares. And this is what made his mind swirl. He saw all four people, walk up to them, meet a dragon, place their hand against their nose, and instantly...They'd know they were two pieces of a two-piece puzzle. And that, was beauty.

He saw them become complete. Not just the humans. But the dragons too. He saw them get what he desired most.

It didn't fill him with anger. Nor envy. But rather as sort of...Calm desperation.

He wasn't well, he knew it. And it sickened him to know that he needed to be 'cured'. He knew it was probably possible, but it didn't feel like it.

He pulled his heavy gaze from the ground to the sea. Not to far from the beach stood the dark outline of the slavers' ship. Double deck, three masts, sleek. A revolutionary ship, in advance on it's time. It was hybrid of several styles and architectures from several parts of the world. Yes, that ship had travelled far. Further than he ever would.

You'd think that such a sight would make an ex-slave like Einarr gag and cough, that it would fill his heart with anger and his eyes with fire. But it didn't. Once more, that familiar sense of futility and discouragement filled his head. But then again, 'discouraged' is a poor choice of words, if he was to be discouraged, he'd first need a cause, an objective. But he had none.

He didn't want one. All he wanted to do, was to walk the beach, and stare at the ship. Doesn't matter if he misses out on adventure, love, life. He'd be perfectly content with his own poisoned mind, and bitter emotions. After all, that's all he ever had.

At that moment, Toothless, Baraz, and his soon-to-be-named younger sister came bursting out of the tree-line, playfully squawking and pursuing each-other. They tumbled in a giant wrestling heap, things younger dragons tend to do as entertainment.

They rolled onto the beach, pile breaking apart about twenty meters before Einarr. Who stopped and stared, not nervous in the least.

The dragons recovered from their playful mirth, now taking interest in the boy. Baraz beckoned him over with a nod and a groan, but Einarr merely turned and trudged in the opposite direction.

" **What is wrong with him ?** " Growled the younger sister.

" **Too many things unfortunately.** " Crooned Toothless.

" **Is he mad ?** " Asked Baraz with an interrogative grunt.

" **No...But life has forced him to cope with things he cannot withstand. At least not on his own.** "

" **Can we not help him ?** "

" **It's not our place...The only ones who can help him are Hiccup, one he has yet to meet, and no little amount of time...** "

" **Who are you to be so wise at your age ? Even we are older than you...** "

" **These are not my words, but those of our wisest human around : Qwynel.** "

" **I see.** " Snorted Baraz.

" **I hope he gets well.** " Crooned the young dragoness." **I pity him.** "

" **Hiccup was like that once, until we met.** "

She gave him a serious look." **You and that boy have suffered, haven't you ?** "

" **You'll find most of us on this island have. Each in our own way, some more than others. But I know none of us deserved it.** "

" **That is why you cover it up.** "

Toothless' pupils tightened into slits.

" **Your jokes and playfulness, it's a way to cope. Isn't it ?** " She thrust her nose at his tail, decorated with the brown tail-fin.

" **Who are you to read me like rabbit tracks ?!** " Snarled Toothless, taking a step forward towards the younger sister.

" **She meant nothing by it !** " Roared Baraz.

Toothless stopped himself. His growling slowly died down, after thirty seconds, his eyes returned to 'normal'.

" **Sorry...** " Squeaked the dragoness.

" **I shouldn't have lost my temper.** " Said Toothless with a sharp exhale of air. He looked away, cast his gaze towards the ship's figure, dark, and calm on the horizon.

" **You had the right to...** " Crooned the sister.

" **If I may...** **You've lost your father haven't you ?** "

Baraz gave what could be interpreted as a sigh. " **To men, yes.** "

" **Yet here we stand, ready to live amongst them.** " Added the dragoness.

" **Proof that not all are bad.** "

" **But most are.** "

" **It's not their fault, those who are have been raised to be. And those before them, and those before them, and so on...** "

" **The future seems rather grim when said like that...** " Groaned Baraz.

" **It won't be. As long as I have Hiccup by my side, I know we'll be able to shine our own light.** "

" **I know the feeling.** " Said Baraz.

" **As do I.** " Added his sister.

" **And now, all that remains...Is to make sure everyone has someone...** " Toothless glanced over to Einarr's shrinking figure, walking away." **...So that they may shine their own light.** "

" **You mean Einarr ?** "

" **Yes.** "

" **I'm afraid it seems only Hiccup, can help him find that other person. Be it human or dragon.** "

Baraz scratched a paw against the snow, meaning : *ahem*. " **On a more cheerful note, what do you think about taking our new friends for a flight one day ?** "

" **Hah ! I'd like to Marsaili's face ! It'd be payback for that damn spinach...** " Sqawked the dragoness.

" **Arash would turn a very entertaining complexion I'm sure !** "

" **I'll have to get my Hiccup to make some saddles. It'll be fun.** "

" **More for us than them !** "

" **I'll look forward to it.** " Chuckled Toothless.

* * *

It was one of those nights again. Those when Hiccup crept into the forge with a candle and his notebook, clumsily sit at a stool before a workbench and scribble. Einarr wasn't woken, in fact he wasn't sleeping. He found it hard to. Usually, he'd just sit there, snuggled up with his blanket and cushion against the hearth, pretend to sleep and let his mind wander, as if Hiccup wasn't there. But that night, something spurred his curiosity.

The room was dim, and would be totally dark if weren't for the candle or the red bed of dying embers in the circular hearth. The only sound, was that of a charcoal pencil scribbling against a notebook. Einarr had never found himself wondering of it's contents, but for some reason, today he did.

" What are you doing ? " He rasped.

Hiccup's head shot up. The scribbling interrupted itself. His voice pierced through the air like a rusty metal arrow, with an unnatural, intrusive feel to it.

" I uh...I thought you were asleep." Said Hiccup, turning around on his stool to face him.

" You didn't answer."

" I'm writing."

" What ? "

" Ideas."

" On what ?"

" Come see for yourself." He invited, pulling another wooden stool to his side.

Einarr hesitated, it wasn't a matter of fear, but rather like breaking a habit or a rule set to oneself. The rule stating that other humans will only cause you pain, and that you should stay away from them at all costs. But rules, like hearts and minds, are meant to be broken.

So, he energetically rubbed a palm against his nose, the only childish thing Hiccup had seen him do so far, before throwing the blanket off. He got up, picked up his blanket, wrapped it around himself like a robe or a cape before sitting on the stool besides Hiccup.

There was the notebook, open at a double-page depicting a strange cylindrical object. Around the charcoal sketch, were runes scattered in a disorganized fashion.

" What is it ? "

" The idea for something I had floating around my head for a while."

" What does it do ? "

" It's supposed to help you see further, I'm not sure it'll work though."

" Huh...What do those writings say."

There was a pause. At first, Hiccup didn't understand. He looked down, and gave Einarr a blank look, who answered with a frown. Then it hit him.

" Uh...Einarr...D-Don't take this badly...But...Can you read ? "

Einarr's frown deepened, turning into an angry and insulted scowl. " So what if I can't ! " His tone mounted gradually as he spoke, a witness to accumulating rage and emotion.

" Nononono...It's fine if you can't...It's just..." He stopped himself. He was about to say that where he came from, most were literate by the age of ten, out of necessity. Obviously most Vikings weren't geniuses in matters of literature, in fact, most never read a book. But literacy was important when in came to bookkeeping, trading or even writing contracts. But Hiccup never let the words escape his mouth, for pointing out Einarr's difference to the norm wasn't something that would help defuse the situation, on the contrary. " Reading and writing are handy...Y'know."

"..."

" D-Do you want to know how to ? "

Einarr's angry look dissolved into one of surprise and confusion. He wasn't expecting Hiccup to offer to teach him.

" I...Uh...I guess."

" Okay..." Said Hiccup, he flipped the page in his notebook and tore out a fresh one. He quickly scribbled the alphabet on it, then below, a single word.

" Lets start by your name..."

And so the night was spent teaching and learning, as was the next, and the next, and the next...


	25. Chapter 25

**100 reviews ! WOOooh ! Thank you so much you outstanding people for reading what I have to say and write...Some of you know how rewarding it feels when others appreciate what you dream and imagine, it makes you feel special, in a particularly wonderful way that's absolutely impossible to replicate. And for that : THANK YOU. Thank you so much.**

 **Now, this is an important chapter, or rather one of the many turning points condensed into a chapter. It relays what could be considered as the 'official' start of Dreki as a faction ( yet to be known and recognised by the world), but also as one of Hiccup's radical changes gradually making him another person entirely.**

 **Furthermore. Einarr's writing starts with a two line monologue from an excellent character from another very good animation movie. See if you can figure out which one.**

 **Enjoy !**

 **Rant Over.**

* * *

Hiccup was in his forge, hammering away at a sword. The heat of the hearth scorched his face, sweat trickled down his cheek and pearled at his forehead.

He interrupted his furious hammering when a powerful knock shook his front door.

It was rather unusual for someone to knock. At least on Dreki. They all knew each other so well, so any front door was a place of free-flowing traffic. He put the hammer down by the anvil and wiped his face on a nearby rag before discarding it to a stool and walking over to the wooden door. He opened it, only to find WarBear's massive frame fill up his front porch. Behind him, Hiccup could barely distinguish Marsaili, Qwynel and Toothless.

" Good morning..." Started WarBear with a smile. "...We need to talk." He boomed.

" Uh...Of what ? " Frowned Hiccup.

His tone and expression suddenly turned to one of grim sobriety and determination." The future. And what we make of it."

Hiccup understood. He knew this moment would come eventually, after all, the current situation on Dreki was merely a temporary one. One made to last until a suitable plan of action was conceived. Hiccup removed his smithy's apron and hung it up on a hook on the door, and followed the quatrain outside.

" Les' walk." Suggested Marsaili, her voice decorated with her melodious accent.

They set off towards the forest in silence, distancing themselves from the houses for the important talk that was to come. The sky was grey, merely varying in gloomy colourless shades. But that was a normal sky in these parts, mornings were often grey. When they had walked for at least five minutes, the first question was fired :

" What did you have in mind ? " Asked Marsaili to Hiccup as they trod through the melting snow.

" Uh...Of what ? "

" All...This ! " She gestured back in the direction of the clearing.

" I Uh...Well, I figured most of you would like to return home to your families and kin, or make your own life out here so...So I figured we could take the boat, and sail you to Dànor, you can go anywhere from there."

" Very thoughtful of you...Thank you." Answered WarBear. " But I fear most of us have nowhere to go. And we would be going with this no less." He rubbed two fingers up to his brand on his temple. " Most of us here are criminals, who have been disowned by their families and sold as slaves by their own tribe, as it is custom in many cultures around the world..."

Hiccup couldn't help but feel a painful twinge of surprise in his gut. He knew selling criminals had always been a common practice. And although it was more than plausible that at least half of the guests were indeed criminals, he found it hard to believe that such gentle folk had committed crimes of such considerable gravity in their past. It just didn't seem like them. Whoever they were before being sold, these people were long gone. Only to be replaced by broken and traumatized characters, whose hearts have been softened by the blows and deprivations they suffered.

"...The rest of us have been taken in raids, during which our families and friends perished...It is kind of you to offer us a second chance. But out there is a world where you are cut down for being, speaking, or thinking differently..."

" Vikings aren't that open-minded towards other cultures that much is true..." Agreed Qwynel as she stepped over a log. "...Even less so with people with 'the mark'."

WarBear nodded slowly as he walked."...My point is : What with your skills in dragon-training, your mind, our strength, our determination, and our solidarity...Dreki is looking like a very attractive and pmausible possibility for a future. A more than viable solution..."

Hiccup stopped mid-stride, and stared with saucepan-sized eyes back at WarBear. The others stopped, and turned around to face him. They tried decrypting his expression, unsure of his thoughts about it all. A couple of seconds passed, the info sunk in, and Hiccup brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head.

" Well then...I guess we'll have to build more houses..."

All smiled. Even Toothless, with his typically gummy smile.

Marsaili came up to him and put a friendly hand on his bony shoulder." I'm glad to hear it ! So, we've talked about this for a while with the others ya' see...And tha' more we blabbered an' yapped, tha' more we realized that even though we'd all be takin' tha' decisions together. We'd need somebody to keep it all runnin' ! Otherwise it'd never work."

" Indeed." Continued WarBear, leaning against a tree and crossing his arms. " And the more we discussed it..."

Marsaili picked up the thread again. "...tha' more we thought of you."

There was a moment of silence. A pause. Toothless' eyes widened in realization, but Hiccup's remained lost and pensive. His thoughts died one after the other, like waves crashing one by one other the jagged rocks of the coast. He wasn't quite sure what they were suggesting. Or rather, he couldn't believe it. It seemed surreal, impossible.

Qwynel realized what she needed to do, and turned to Marsaili and WarBear : " *Ahem*, could you excuse us ?"

" 'Course."

" By all means."

They turned and left, before heading back towards the clearing. Toothless, stayed, standing by Hiccup.

Qwynel turned to the teen, with a determined look on her face.

" Do you realize what they're asking ? "

" I...I'm not sure."

" They're asking you, to represent our future community, and organize it."

" I..."

" I've talked with them...They're looking for someone to follow."" Don't let this pass." She said with a harsh

" Not me-..."

" Don't let this pass." She said with a harsh voice, as if she was calmly telling him off.

Hiccup rubbed both hands into his face, this was too much." No...I-I can't do that...I...I'm only sixteen ! I...No one would follow _me_...I'm not ready for that level of responsa-..."

Qwynel took a menacing step forward. A threatening finger poised like a dagger." Now you listen to me young man !..." She took a deep breath. " ...I have seen too many people your age already have a path already laid down for them, and believe me, most of 'em weren't made for that path. Take it from me, I was one of 'em ! This, is an opportunity. You are _made_ for this !"

" N-No-..." Said Hiccup shaking his head weakly.

" YES ! I can think of no other person that would be more fit to get the job done, and neither can they ! " She pointed determinedly back at the clearing.

" B-But...WarBear, he'd be much better than me ! I mean he's tall, impressive, smart and good at fighting ! I...I'm..."

" You're smart, a better negotiator and pacifier than WarBear, good with a crossbow, and the first and only dragon trainer ever to have existed ! " Hiccup found himself taking a step back, despite himself. "You impressed them, not only did you befriend all the dragons here. But you also approached the most lost and confused boy in the world and are the _only_ one to ever have done so..."

" I still think-..."

" -You owe it to yourself ! You owe it to us all ! Without you, this grand project of ours won't work..."

" This conversation is feeling very one-sided..."

" And we all know how that went when you said that to your father."

Hiccup directed his gaze downwards and tensed up. His heart turned to iron and sunk into his furry boots. She had struck a chord. Toothless came up besides him and leaned slightly against his standing frame. A reassuring touch, always there when most desperately needed.

Qwynel sighed. " Look, the point is : All of us are on Dreki because we sought or were given a second chance... Personally, I would love nothing more than spend what little time I have left in this world doing my part for a community that I'm made for, in which I fit. The _others_ want the same...And I know _you_ want the same. There's nothing out there for any of us... So it's up to every single one of us to do our part in making our own future. But it only works if we _all_ play the game."

" I...I don't know what to say..."

" Then don't say anything..."

" I need to... " He looked down to Toothless besides him, who looked straight up with big eyes. He placed a palm on his dark, scaly skull. Warm to the touch. " No, _we_ need to think about this."

Qwynel nodded." Don't come back until sundown, you can't possibly have made up your mind by then..." Said the old lady. With that, Hiccup gave a single downward nod, and leaped onto Toothless. He fit his foot in the saddle's pedals, and three powerful wingbeats later, they were up above the forest and gaining altitude.

* * *

They climbed up into the greyish sky. The cold air blew his auburn hair back and flowed down his tunic, exposing his lower belly to the cold northern winds. They flew higher and higher, before eventually levelling off and commencing a wide circle around Dreki's white solitary peak.

the layer of clouds was below them, like a grey sea in the sky. Above them, were a couple more, less dense clouds. They flew a long time, in silence. Painting long and lazy patterns in the sky, slowly banking left or right, neither of the pair really directing them.

Eventually, after a little over two hours, they descended. They dived and pummeled through the cloud sea until they reemerged into the clear world, under the giant fluffy blanket. They landed, on the far west side of the island. There, they found a calm clearing, they settled down against a tree, and curled up against each other. They slept, each resting their minds and bodies, forgetting their worries, losing them in the vast bliss of sleep.

Hiccup fell asleep to the slow rhythm of Toothless' heartbeat. Setting the tempo of his dreams.

He dreamt of he and Toothless, both flying above a grand city. A city, in which at least five thousand souls would live. A city with grand walls of gray stone, encircling a forest of tall towers. These towers, rose higher than it even seemed possible. One hundred, maybe two hundred meters ?

Pairs of humans and dragons flew above the city. Each more varied in their shapes, sizes and colours. They took off and landed from the top of these tall towers, some carrying loads, some armour, some nothing. Below, people and dragons walked the busy streets. Young dragons and their equally young and irresponsible humans raced between buildings, flying and skimming just above people's heads as they zigzagged through the streets. Behind them, was a rather infuriated adult on his equally infuriated nadder brother racing after the 'little blighters ! '.

In the distance, were white and red sails. Floating above just above the watery the horizon, that glittered in the sun's light.

Hiccup felt at peace, as did Toothless, both soared, high above it all, and no one took notice. They circled and circled, both fascinated by what they saw before them. A sense of awe overcame them, lifting their hopes and ambitions like the wind lifted them high in the air.

* * *

Meanwhile, Einarr sat in Hiccup's forge, staring at a blank piece of paper set before him. He fiddled with the charcoal pencil, twirling it nervously in his fingers.

Hiccup had taught him so much about writing, not just how to spell, but how to truly write. He said he'd made incredible progress, and learnt faster than most, that he could be a natural. So the teen had ripped out a page from his notebook, and given it to Einarr. He said that he should keep it, and that whenever he wanted to write, he'd be able to.

Now Einarr wanted to write. But he couldn't. Or rather, he wouldn't. It scared him. The blank piece of paper paper stared back at him like a void below his feet. Like a sharp drop without end. He wanted to write, and he wanted to be good at it. But he wouldn't.

Even if he did, he'd never show it to anyone. But he wanted to put it down on paper. He didn't know why, he just did.

He'd never written alone. There had always been Hiccup to suggest, guide, encourage. Now, he was alone with a pencil, a piece of paper, and his own mind. He had learnt so much, how to write elegantly, how to make the idea expressed as beautiful as the form and language.

But he was scared of putting his mind to paper. After all, it was all he had : His mind, and no little amount of determination to become more than what he was. And he'd do so by writing.

He knew what he wanted to say. It was an idea, that hit him a long time ago. When he still slept in a cell. So, he swallowed his fear, creased his brow and put his pencil to the paper.

* * *

 _Some say our destiny is tied to the land, as much a part of us as we are of it. Others say, that fate is woven together like a cloth, so that one's destiny intertwines with many others'. It's the one thing we search for, or fight to change. Some never find it. But there are some...Who are led._

 _I find it easier to believe I was led to Dreki. That I was led to meet Hiccup. At the time I'm writing this, things are changing. For the better, I hope, but I can't help but notice that for all the unfortunate souls here on this island, we all have something in common._

 _We were led._

 _We are each a piece of thread, intertwined and woven together to form a cloth or a canvas. And when the canvas is complete, I believe it'll be an image of Dreki. This word, for me, designates more than just an island. It designates the fact that things changed for the better, despite them being beyond my control, as usual. And this means the start of something new. I have a name now, to replace the one long forgotten_ _. It's a name I chose, it's the only thing I ever chose in my life. It's the start of a long series of choices, whether fate likes it or not. Because it's had its fun, and I shall be a piece of thread that is no longer going to be led._

 _That, for me, is what 'Dreki' means._

 _From now on, I chose where I fit In the canvas and how. Intertwined with whomever I want._ _And for now, It shall be Hiccup._

* * *

 **Tell me what you think ! Leave a review. I'd love to know what you think of it all.**


	26. Chapter 26

The sun was only just disappearing below the horizon when Toothless and Hiccup landed amongst the trio of houses. The air was fresh, as usual, and occasional breezes caused Hiccup's hair to go wild and blind him in a waving frenzy.

He leaped off Toothless' back, and both walked over to Qwynel's door. Three short knocks later, and the old lady made her appearance. Her creased face decorated with a faint playful smile said it all : ' I was expecting you.' She turned back into the house, and told someone that she'd "be right back". Most likely Erlend.

She stepped over her threshold and closed the door behind her.

" So ? " She inquired.

Hiccup drew a shaky breath in." I'm in." He said in quavering voice.

" What made your mind up ? "

" I uh..." He looked down at the ground, little tufts of grass poked up through the thinning snow. "...Well, I figured there's a war out there, between man and dragon...And we're the only ones who've figured it out. You're right, I owe it to all of us. But I mostly owe it to all those out there, all the humans or dragons who need a place to call home. Humans and dragons don't have to fight, we have that knowledge, and that knowledge is worth protecting." He looked over to Toothless, who stood besides him. " We realized...We want a part in protecting it."

" I'm happy you two figured it out..." Smiled Qwynel. " Now you all better get some sleep, especially you kid. Things get serious tomorrow..."

" Ugh...Could you _not_ call me that...Please ? "

Qwynel chuckled and turned around to enter her house. The door closed behind her and Hiccup turned to hug Toothless. His thin arms wrapped around Toothless' scaly neck, and each could feel the other's heartbeat where their bodies met.

" G'night bud..."

" **Good night Hiccup.** "

And with that hey parted. Hiccup, heading back to their house, and Toothless under a large tree at the edge of the clearing, to join all the other dragons in their slumbering activities.

* * *

Hiccup entered his house as quietly as possible. He closed the door behind him, and turned to find his forge lit by the dim light of a single candle at one of the workstations. The tiny flame lit up Einarr's small figure, which sat at the workbench, asleep. His head was lying sideways on the table, under it was a piece of paper scribbled in charcoal writing.

Hiccup silently padded over to the small boy, who breathed regular but wheezy breaths in his deep sleep. The teen peered over at the paper, only catching the top words, but then stopped himself. He couldn't, he had no right to peek into Einarr's thoughts and emotions. Thoughts and emotions, that he tried so hard to conceal and protect when awake. Instead, the auburn-haired boy grabbed a blanket from under the table and set it delicately over the child's shoulders. He blew out the candle, and crept into the next room.

There, he found all his guests, or rather, all the new Drekians, simply sitting around the table, discussing trivial things in hushed voices. The room was lit by several candles, two on the table and the other on the kitchen area's workbench.

Hiccup took a seat as the discussions fell silent. All stared at him, expectant. This would have made the old Hiccup furiously uncomfortable, but that night he merely brushed off the situation with a :

" We'll start building new homes tomorrow, as much as I like being around you all, I think it's best if we each have our own place to stay don't you think ? "

Smiles were born and hearts lightened. Most agreed with a nod of the head and a couple of 'Aye's. Conversations slowly started forming again amongst the small group, and Hiccup seized the moment to turn to WarBear, who sat directly in front of him.

" I Uh...I have something for you." He said reaching in his fur jacket's inner pocket.

WarBear raised an interrogative eyebrow. " Do you now ? "

Hiccup merely drew out a small object, wrapped in a piece of cloth. He placed on the table between them, nudging it towards the large bald man. WarBear took it in a large black hand and unfolded the piece of cloth. A large grin formed on his face, and he looked up from his hand to Hiccup, who answered with a crooked grin.

" You finished it."

Hiccup nodded. " It took me a while. Jewelry is tricky to master. I had to re-smelt the gold piece several times, I just couldn't be satisfied with the result."

" It's beautiful." Said WarBear holding up the amulet before him, hanging by its silver chain wrapped around his hand.

The amulet was mainly of smooth dark wood, circular with rounded off sides and a little smaller than your palm. The smooth shape was streaked with the wood's pattern, and seemed to glow around its sides in the candlelight. In the center, was a encrusted gold piece in the shape of the stoker dragon class insignia. The piece wasn't flat so much as the flames the dragon's mouth spat were done with relief, as were the wing and horn. It's eye, was made with a small stone. Worthless, but pretty. It was a tiny white stone that could fit under a fingernail found on the beach, it gave a piercing look to the 'dragon' and a remarkable feeling of danger and might.

" Thank you..." Said WarBear, passing the chain around his neck and letting the amulet sink under his shirt, leaving the upper third of it peeking over the rim of the brown tunic. " I will always treasure it."

* * *

The next day started early. As soon as the sun started peaking over the horizon, the Drekians were up and about. A small party was sent back on board the ship, which still lay anchored not far off the beach, in order to collect any tools or materials that could help in the construction of homes.

And while trees were downed and processed into planks, Hiccup and Lucia spent the entire morning designing a model for a house that could be replicated as many times as necessary. The houses, were designed to have two floors, a kitchen, a storage room, a room for two large dragons, and three small rooms for humans. It was also designed to be easy to build, and that's where Lucia's expertise came into play. The house's structure had to be designed based on the material's flexibility and elasticity, as well as it's reaction to humidity and wild temperature variations. As you all know, Dreki is an extremely cold and wet place, winters can be violent and summers wet. Fortunately, Lucia was well versed in the multiple properties and applications of pine, allowing Hiccup to perfect the optimal design.

So, the model for the houses was designed for everyone. Doors, were very large and beams placed high for the sake of larger dragons. In the end, it's appearance would resemble a rather tall and exotic version of a typical Viking abode. The roof was specifically designed to allow dragons to perch upon it. An access hatch was even incorporated to allow humans or even small dragons to reach the roof from the second floor, hence the roof was decorated with all sorts of large handle-looking perches and ladder-type elements allowing both dragons and humans to scamper across it with relative ease.

This, unfortunately, would cause snow to accumulate on the roof during winter and late autumn periods. So, every morning, the Drekians would have to clear them with wide shovels and spades, but after a short yet effective consensus, it was agreed that it would be worth it.

Overall, the soon-to-be 'typical' Drekian house was to be considerably larger than Hiccup and Toothless' or Qwynel's house, but smaller than the Roman's, which still stood as the largest.

And so, the second part of the day marked the start of the construction of Dreki's fourth house. It went rather fast, what with a total of thirty-five human Drekians and six dragon Drekians. Some were more mighty than others, but people were assigned to activities that suited them best. If one wasn't strong enough to haul large logs or thick planks, then one was assigned to making said planks, or chopping down trees, or nailing wood together etc...

Hiccup, was working furiously in the forge. That day, he used up his last supplies of iron to produce large quantities of all sorts of small but necessary objects such as screws, nails, hinges, handles etc... the list goes on.

The house was completed as the sun set, and was claimed by three of the guests including Arash, Baraz obviously joined them, having bonded with Arash and in the end they formed a merry household of four.

* * *

The next day started just as early as the previous one, as did the one after that, and the one after that, and all those that followed. The clearing grew wider and wider as trees were cut, iron was bought from the neighboring island as was farming equipment and seeds.

By day six, there was a total of ten houses in wich Drekians lived with close friends and bonded dragons. The clearing had doubled in size and dirt paths had started to form in the previously grassy clearing.

Einarr, had chosen to remain with Hiccup, as he was the only person he trusted or even interacted with in the entire island. An expansion to Hiccup's house was made, a small room branching off the forge was constructed. It was filled with a humble hay mattress, a desk for writing, and a smaller version of the forge's hearth. Hiccup knew how much Einarr enjoyed to snuggle up to the warm and circular brick structure and had made sure to incorporate this when designing the room.

Erlend, had also chosen to live with Qwynel. It seemed the two ageing birds took a liking to each other, a fact often used by Marcus as a means to make gentle fun of Qwynel, to which she smiled and responded : 'There's no age for love kid, and you haven't got anyone so quit ya' yappin' !'

There was then the issue of food. Thankfully, spring was making itself known to the world, but the Drekian's recent hunting activities had been rather intense. And one could see the population of boar, deer, and hare dwindling. Seven of the Drekians had been farmers in their past life, and expressed the will to resume their agricultural activities.

The problem then was the land. There was enough of it, that much was clear, but the trouble was organizing irrigation and all the other technicalities. Hence, a small meeting for leading figures and those concerned was organized. This meant Hiccup, WarBear, Marsaili and a woman who represented the farmers :

Hiccup unrolled the map onto the grass. All four kneeled or sat around it, it was an extremely detailed map of Dreki, made four days ago by Erlend's steady hand and Septimus' knowledge of the island.

" So this is our reasonably flat area of land we'd need." Indicated the brown-haired woman, she was rather tall and lean with a wine red tunic as well as tomboy cut.

" So it's arable land ? " Questioned WarBear, his voice forever thick with that accent.

" We checked it, if we clear the trees and small rocks, yes, we'll be able to grow almost everything. Peas, Barley, wheat...You name it."

" That'll require an entire day o' labour right' ? " Asked Marsaili.

" If everyone contributes it'll be done in under four hours..." Muttered Hiccup staring intensely at the map, calculating. "...No, that's not the problem. What we need to figure out is how we get water from here..." He placed a finger on the river that flowed from the mountain down through the clearing, before branching off into the sea. "...To here." He dragged his finger across the large map towards the arable area.

" Just dig irrigation from point A to point B. I don't see the problem." Commented WarBear.

Hiccup shook his head. " Yeah, but I'm just trying to think long term here...What if we want to expand ? We need to make room for future plots."

" He's right." Said the woman.

" So what do ye' suggest ? " Inquired Marsaili.

" Well, we could branch it off here." He placed his index on the map." Have the main irrigation go like this...Then it'll branch off into several smaller ones. That way, every time we want to make a new plot we just have to plough the land and dig a small irrigation stream running off the main one."

" But why leave this part of the river untouched ? Wouldn't it be easier to make it branch off higher upstream ? " Said WarBear.

Hiccup gave a small grin. " That's for an idea of mine. "

" Is it now ? " Mocked Marsaili.

" Yeah...I thought about it a long time ago...It's a building we can make that'll help us increase productivity."

" Why does it need to be by a river ? "

" I'll explain someday...Right now we don't desperately need it, so we'll think about it later. But it's something that should make our lives a lot easier."

" I like the sound of that." Smiled the woman.

" So do I." Said WarBear. " So it's settled then ? "

" I think..." Muttered Hiccup, scratching the back of his head. " We should start working on it tomorrow if we don't want to decimate all the animal population on Dreki, then we'd really be in trouble."

" Aye...You're right." Agreed Marsaili.

Everyone was about to rise and dismiss themselves to their own duties, when Hiccup interrupted. " Actually, we forgot to talk of the forests."

" What of them ? " Asked WarBear.

" Well, until now we've been taking our wood from the trees surrounding the clearing...And um...That's great 'cause we need space, but soon enough we'll need a more sustainable option."

They all raised an eyebrow.

" The thing is, we're on an island...We have to think long term if we want last over a generation."

" So what do ya' suggest ? " Asked Marsaili.

" Well, we could separate the forest in half...This entire west part of the forest could be the 'new' forest..." He waved his hand over the map. "...We can chop wood and replant trees. It'll be our supplies of firewood and construction materials. And over here to the east we can the er...'Old' forest...We need it for for hunting and herb collecting. Some herbs require certain environments and no animals will ever live in a forest constantly being chopped down and exploited."

" Well 'Iccup, ya' seem to have it all figured out."

" Aye."

WarBear patted Hiccup heavily on the back, summoning an 'Oof !' from the boy. " See ! I told you you would be good at this !"

* * *

Two weeks had past. These were the hardest and most laborious two weeks the Drekians ever lived. Obviously they had lived tough days before, considering their past. Only this time they toiled with a purpose, they were building their future. And this, was motivation enough to hammer, plough, and saw until their hands bled.

Thankfully, it didn't come to that. A small group of thirty-five was too little manpower for constructing the essentials of a village, but add five large and capable dragons into the mix, and you have the most motivated and united workforce in the entire archipelago.

Each now had home to share with friends and... Closer friends... If you catch my drift. The homes were now no longer crowded, which allowed the dragon population to regain their place by fires and upon sleeping slabs, as opposed to sleeping in a pile under a large tree on the edge of the clearing.

The overall mood was worn, but merry. A short vote by show of hand (or tail) was cast, defining the decision of whether to build a main hall or a fishery. The former was chosen, for the simple reason that any fish on Dreki would come from dragons, who don't require any infrastructure to do so. Merely a couple of barrels positioned on the beach for them to drop off their load. On the other hand, the idea of a main hall where everyone can eat, drink, dance, and talk together appealed greatly to the Drekians. Especially the dragons when Hiccup announced that he would design the hall to have low hanging beams and a high ceiling for them to perch. Obviously the idea of perching on comfortable beams above a giant fire-pit emitting heat seemed like heaven for the dragons.

And so the hall was designed, and the constructions started. Though they were at a slower pace, more relaxed pace now that the essentials were built, only the dedicated builders were working in that department. The other Drekians branched off into other professions depending on their skills and ambitions such as weaving, wood carving (Lucia), mead brewing, farming, wood cutting, hunting (Arash), stone carving, leather working, etc...

Einarr and Qwynel had decided to live together, both claiming with no little amount of humour that 'it's more fun to age with others.'. The older monstrous nightmare had chosen to live with them too, finding the sudden change in her life going for both the better and the calmer. She settled with the name 'Boon', from then on she was often called 'Ol' Boon' or 'Boons'.

Indeed, it was joyful time, full of hope and ambition. Not many are given a second chance in this world, but all forty-one Drekians had been given the chance, and all took it. It was a wonderful opportunity to abandon their past lives and start anew, to be reborn with the wisdom of their past.

But unfortunately, most of them bore a mark on their temple. A terrible mark there to remind them of _what_ they were before, before they became _who_ they are today. These horrible 'T' burns, were the object of dread on Dreki. Hence, one day, Hiccup was asked to head to Dreki, buy some ink, and return. He gladly did so, and when he returned, all the Drekians sat in a circle at the center of their newly founded village around a campfire, and one by one, had their temples decorated by the ink and Erlend's talented hand.

Every one of them, were tattooed over their brand with the mark of a popular symbol on Dreki. The dragon strike class insignia, an insignia, which not only honored the valued friendship between dragon and man, but also a respected and loved dragon, last member of his species, veteran of the Viking/dragon war. Toothless. In the Drekian's minds, the strike class emblem represented power, speed, agility, invisibility, fear. It was to become Dreki's emblem.

And so, one by one, the Drekians had their temples marked. All but those who had not spent their past in slavery, but rather another misery. They, had their wrists tattooed in the pitch black ink. The dragons too, urged to bear the mark, they chose the thigh, visible, yet not visually impeding. Contrary to humans, dragons' "spots of beauty" aren't places like the thigh, or the breast, or the rear, but rather the tail, wings and neck as well as the face.

And so, in under three weeks, a village, no...A community was formed. Tightly knit, indivisible, and the first of it's kind.


	27. Chapter 27

All the Drekians, human and dragon, were grouped in a loud but merry crowd in the main hall for the fourth time ever. Well, all but one little boy who couldn't bear all the noise and people, and would much rather eat alone with his own mind besides a tender fire.

The hall was filled with a warm atmosphere. Both humans and dragons sat around a large oval table within the hall. In the middle of the oval, was an enormous fire-pit. On the fire, was a spit, upon which was roasting to large pieces of boar meat. The spit, was slowly turning, though it wasn't activated by a hungry human. But rather an automated mechanism designed by Hiccup that consisted of a long piece of rope wound around the handle of the spit and reached all the way up to the ceiling, around a pulley, and back down again, dragged back to the ground by a small stone weight. This simple yet ingenious mechanism ensured the spit to be turning at regular speed for at least half-an-hour. Producing deliciously roasted meat without anyone having to lift a finger. Well, except to pull the weight back up.

The constant drone of bustling voices, both dragon and human, filled the hall. As well as the smell of mead, roasting meat, and cooked fish. Humans knocked their tankards together and laughed, dragons had fun tossing fish from their dish-sized plates towards other dragons, who promptly caught and swallowed them with a wide maw before answering the favour. They rarely missed, and if they did, it was only for the flying food to land in a human's face, who generally let out a long tirade of meaningless and exotic insults before launching the guilty fish back at the equally guilty dragon, who would merely catch and eat it.

They were halfway through the late evening meal before Hiccup, got up from his seat between Toothless and Qwynel, and walked to the end of the hall. He stepped on small wooden stage, which elevated its user a whole meter off the ground so that everyone sitting at "the oval" may see.

As soon as Hiccup set foot on the stage the noise started dying down. Fish stopped flying from one end of "the oval" to the other, voice died down, and laughter subsided only to let the young teenager speak. Hiccup found himself faced with friendly but expectant faces, patiently waiting for him to start his speech.

" Well," Started the boy, not nervous in the least." we have good news and... _News_. The _good_ news is...Well, you're drinking it...We finally have the first batch of brewed mead we've all been waiting for !"

The hall exploded into cheers and squawks. People lifted their tankards and slammed their feet/paws on the ground in celebration.

"...All that thanks to Reanna and Gus ! " He gestured down to his right, where the couple smiled and bowed their head in humble thanks. The crowd gave another cheer, this time thrusting their tankards towards the two brewmasters.

"...Otherwise..." Continued Hiccup. "...The livestock we've bought from Dànor seems more than promising, and thanks to Ukrit, Sabra and Daewon, we'll have a steady production of wool. Something we... Er... _Really_ need if we all want better clothes."

The crowd gave an approving mumble. Everyone wanted better clothes.

Hiccup interrupted the wave of mumbles with a sharp : " But ! ..." He waited until he recaptured everyone's attention. "...We have more Er... _critical_ issues...to figure out."

Everyone fell silent, remarkably silent. To the point where one could hear the loud crackle of the grand fire in the center.

" We have all been doing really well...Our little village has developed faster in two months than most would i-in years !" Exclaimed the teen, gesturing energetically. " But we must realize, that we can't expect to go unnoticed..."

The crowd gave a confused mumble, though some already knew what he was talking about.

" We have to realize : Soon enough, someone's gonna stumble on Dreki...Trade routes pass next to Dreki all the time, soon enough someone's gonna notice the smoke from our chimneys...Or our lights in the distance at night. One day, we might have a Viking tribe on our doorstep ! "

A wave of concerned gasps and mutters took over the hall, everyone knew what Vikings would think of their operations and way of life. This was more than worrying.

" Well what do we do ? " Asked a man, alarmed.

" We prepare !" Answered a woman.

The crowd gave a surge of approving mumbles and 'aye's.

" You're right..." Said Hiccup. " We do have to prepare...And for that, we need to be able to defend ourselves. Vikings are brash and forward, but not stupid." Hiccup started pacing around the wooden stage. " The idea is to make them think twice before storming our island."

The crowd gave a collective 'Aye!'.

" When we are ready, we go to Dànor, and declare ourselves. Soon enough, the whole archipelago will hear of us...And er...Hopefully fear us enough to keep things peaceful."

" That's a little rash isn't it ? " Protested a red-bearded man, calmly rising from his stool. " What's wrong with waiting until _we_ are discovered ?! We should secure as much time as possible..."

The crowd seemed to agree with him. Several dragons and humans muttered their approval to their neighbors and nodded.

Hiccup interrupted his pacing, waited until silence took over once more before answering the man :" True, but if we storm over there and show ourselves, we make an _impression_...We make ourselves look like we're in control, it'll make them think twice ! Plus, humans and dragons working together...That's pretty scary, that has to earn us _some_ peace and quiet."

The Drekians mumbled another approval. He was right.

" I see yer' point..." Granted the man. " But then how much time do we have then ? "

" Not much...We can only hope to be able to defend ourselves within the next few months. Until then, we'll just have to hope we won't be discovered. But if we play our cards right...We could gain some importance and respect...Maybe with a bit of despisal too...But at least we'll be left alone."

A couple of seconds of silence followed, during which each was lost in deep and dark thoughts about the future. A particularly scary future. But Hiccup wouldn't have it, he wouldn't let this announcement kill the cheerful mood often found under this particular roof. So, to finish off the daily announcement, he rose both hands besides him and said : " But in the meantime, I suggest we dig into that second course. I mean, it's not gonna eat itself is it ?! "

The entire hall gave one big enthusiastic 'AYE !', and started digging into their second course. The cheerful and constant drone of voices and laughter resumed once more as fish started flying from parts of "the oval" to the other.

* * *

A terrified cry tore through the house, waking both Toothless and Hiccup with an abrupt start. It didn't take long for them to deduce the source of the cry, after all, it wasn't the first time. Toothless let out an exasperated sigh, letting his head fall back on the sleeping slab as Hiccup got up and broke free of his embrace.

" Hey, don't be mad, you know it isn't his fault."

" **I know...** " Grumbled the dragon through the darkness, nevertheless irritated at being woken from his precious sleep.

" You don't get mad at me when I have nightmares."

Toothless grumbled yet again." **I know...** "

" You go back to sleep, I'll go check on him."

And with that, Hiccup walked out of the room, into the dark forge, past the round extinguished hearth to Einarr's door. He gave two sharp knocks before entering, not expecting any response.

When he entered the room, an even thicker darkness prevented him from seeing until his eyes adjusted. But when they did, a barely distinguishable figure could be seen in the corner of the room, whimpering and hugging it's knees while sitting on the hay mattress.

Hiccup padded over to Einarr and kneeled down beside him. The boy was lost, oblivious to the world around him as he shivered and sobbed, inhaling sharply and exhaling with a light, quivering wail. It pained Hiccup to see him like this, he placed a hand on his shoulder. But instead of recoiling, Einarr threw himself into Hiccup's chest, wrapping frail arms over his shoulders and around his neck while burying his nose and face into his tunic.

The little boy let out a raw : "Don't let them ! " Before sobbing with twice the previous intensity.

" Sh...Sh...I-It's ok..." Tried Hiccup, taken aback by the sudden turn of events. He placed a shy and hesitant hand over the little boy's head, and another to rub his back. This was more than a surprise, Einarr was never one for physical contact, not in the slightest. Even a pat on the back was enough to make the boy panic, yet, here he was, grasping Hiccup like a sailor would a piece of debris in a stormy sea. The teen could feel the warm tears soak through his tunic, he could feel the wet patch grow like an empire's territory on a map. An empire of sorrow and pain.

It took a while for Einarr to calm himself. During which the pair kept their tight embrace in silence, for nothing was left to be said.

Hiccup was the first break off the tight enfold, lifting Einarr's chin so that he may stare down into the boy's reddened eyes.

" I don't suppose you want to sleep anymore ? " Asked the teen.

Einarr shook his head sorrowfully. Hiccup nodded in response.

" I'll get some wood for the fire." And with that, the teen got up, and padded to the next room before returning with an armful of tinder and logs. Once a small fire was made for the bedroom's small hearth, Hiccup sat down by Einarr, closer than before, for conversation.

" Listen, I-I've been thinking..." Started the teen. " ...You don't have a birthday do you ? "

" No..." Answered the boy bitterly, his voice and mind still worn from the nightmare.

" Well, I uh...I figured today could be a good day..." Hiccup reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, and pulled out a brown book. "...Here, to cheer you up."

Einarr turned to him, and stared at the book he was handing him. It was nothing incredible, but nevertheless held an a certain elegance in its appearance. The book was bound with a brown leather cover, thick, and soft to the touch. It was maintained closed by a small belt and lock that ran around the book, ensuring only the holder of the key could open it. Carved into the leather cover, was Dreki's crest, the strike class insignia, elegant and meaningful.

" Open it. " Encouraged Hiccup, handing him a small iron key.

The boy took the key, cold to the touch, and obliged. He unfastened the lock with a ' _click'_ and placed the book on his crossed legs. He opened it, and slowly flicked through the pages. All of them were blank.

" You write, draw, paint whatever you want in it..." Explained Hiccup. " ...You put your mind to paper. It helps, trust me, it does... And I know you wouldn't want anyone to ever see what you do, or what you're thinking...So I only made one key to that lock..."

" You made this ? " Asked the boy with a hoarse voice. He turned to stare into Hiccup's eyes with his own, and the teen couldn't help but remark that the boy's stone grey eyes seemed a little more human after crying, bloodshot and reddened.

" Uh...Yeah..."

" Thank you..." Said the boy sincerely.

" It's nothing." Discarded Hiccup. He got up, and the floorboards creaked under him. He walked to the door, and when he reached it, turned back to softly say : " I'll uh...I'll leave you now. If you need anything, call me."

Einarr nodded, and as soon as Hiccup was gone and the door creaked shut, he leapt to his feet and pranced over to his desk. There, he sat himself down on a stool and grabbed a pencil. A long night of scribbling followed.

* * *

" Alright listen up ! " Called Hiccup.

All the humans and dragons hushed their numerous conversations and turned to the teen, who stood clad in his armor besides Toothless. A breeze wafted through the clearing, causing grass, leaves, and hair to flail chaotically.

" Today, we try paired flight ! " Announced the boy contently, eliciting squawks and cheers from the dragons and a couple of nervous mumbles from the humans. " Now obviously, the Uh...The first thing you have to do is equip the saddle. Make sure you do it as quick as possible, but also make sure you do it well...Otherwise you'll-..."

" We get the idea." Interrupted Marcus, who stood to his left, flanked by Jitters.

" Sorry." Continued Hiccup. " Ok...Start equipping the saddles...NOW ! "

The ten pairs of dragons and humans got to work. They picked up the saddles and belts lying at their feet and did their best to equip themselves in record time. They wouldn't have long in a real emergency.

It had been several months, and while most of those months had been dedicated to producing saddles, weapons, and armor for Dreki's guard, no flying practice had been done. In the meantime, many other dragons had found their way to Dreki, not all chose to stay. But those who did were those who were either wounded, had bonded with a human, or simply had nothing to lose. In consequence, Dreki's dragon population had now risen to meet the human population. And while less than half of the dragons had bonded with a human, all had found good friends amongst both species. And all were happy with those they shared a roof with.

And now that Dreki's guard was fully equipped and armed. All that remained was training. Unfortunately, that meant starting from the absolute beginning : First flight.

" Are you all ready ? " Asked Hiccup.

A collective mix of growls, yaps, and 'AYE's confirmed as the last belts were tightened and buckles fastened.

" Good. Now, we need to order ourselves from the biggest dragon to the smallest."

" Why ? " Enquired Arash, curious.

" Because we will be flying as a spear-head formation, and to conserve energy, we will be flying in each other's slipstream. " The teen explained, clumsily placing one flat hand right behind the other in a poor attempt to demonstrate the concept. " Fly right behind a bigger dragon, and you'll see it'll be easier for you to keep your speed. " He waited to see their reaction, which turned out to be one of blank confusion demonstrated by raised eyebrows.

" Argh...Nevermind, you'll see when we're up there...Now, form a line ! "

The soldiers obliged, each rider and dragon placing themselves at one end of the line or the other. Two timberjacks on one end, then a scauldron, then the monstrous nightmares, and finally the nadders. When the frantic shuffling finished, ten pairs of soldiers and dragons stood proud and tall besides each other.

The soldiers were a rather exotic sight. All of them were clad in leather armor, similar to Hiccup's, though not all wielded the same weapons. Most of those present were warriors in a past life, and had learnt to fight through the ways of their people. So, while those of Greek origin wielded a spear and light shield, others like Arash, went for ranged weapons such as bows or slings. A while the most popular choice was the nimble short sword, it was nevertheless complemented with three short javelins strapped to the rider's back to provide ranged attack options.

Of course, the main ranged attack power would be provided by the dragons, what with them having the ability of shooting fireballs the size of a barrel and all that... But as dragons had no need for improvement in manners of attack, defence was another matter :

Hiccup had spent more time than he'd care to mention conceiving armor for every individual dragon who planned to fight. Using his knowledge on Viking fighting styles, he knew exactly which parts of the dragon to protect, and how to protect it. Now, the dragons were equally clad in leather armor, sprawling across necks, torsos, forearms, and tails. This, made for quite an impressive sight, but while one could be easily impressed by the guard on the ground, they had yet to have their first flight.

* * *

" Don't worry, if you fall, Jitters and Marcus'll be there to catch you." Reassured Hiccup as the first trainee mounted her partner.

" What do I do once I'm in the air ? " Asked the woman, flicking her single dark braid from before her fearful eyes.

" Circle the clearing until everyone's in the air, then we'll try formation exercises."

The woman nodded, focused in front of her, took in a deep breath, and waited for the signal. The female timberjack beneath her gave a reassuring croon as she spread her mighty wings.

" Don't worry." Reassured Hiccup.

" I'm not worried."

" You look scared."

The middle-aged woman turned to Hiccup, irritated. " Hiccup, I'm not scared."

The group of soldiers chuckled and squawked behind the teen.

" Ok ! Ok ! Ok ! Just...Fine...Go !"

And they were off ! Without giving her rider the time to latch on properly, the great timberjack pumped her razor-sharp wings and propelled them up into the air in the blink of an eye. They rose, higher and higher, the woman's cry of surprise and terror becoming more and more distant. Then, suddenly, the timberjack stopped her furious pumping, and spread her wings like broad sails, and started gliding in circles, graciously floating around the small village.

" Ok, " Said Hiccup, turning back around to the group. " Who's next ? "

Silence.

" Aw cm'on...It isn't that bad ! You'll love it once your up there ! "

And as if to prove his point, came a sudden whoop of joy and excitement from the woman and her dragon circling above the village.

" YEeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh ! " Shouted the woman, accompanied by the roar of her dragon sister as they swooped by.

" Ya see ? " Gestured Hiccup, hopeful.

Then suddenly, Arash was pushed out of the crowd. Shoved forward by his monstrous nightmare, who was jostling him forward with his head.

" Ah...At last, a brave soul..." Mocked Hiccup sarcastically, fully aware that this was going to be fun to watch.

And it was. Bets were made on who would scream on take-off, all did, even the manliest of men, and the toughest of women. Once every pair was up in the air and circling, Hiccup hoped onto Toothless' back and they took off to join them. The triangle formation was established, painstakingly, but established nevertheless.

They flew in a wobbly and unstable formation, not far below cloud level, practising the act of balancing a rider on dragonback in strong winds. Then, as the twelve flying pairs reached the western edge of the island, Hiccup turned to the two timberjacks flying right behind him on either side, and yelled over his shoulder :

" Bank on my signal ! "

His voice was distorted by his helmet, and outspoken by the freezing wail of the strong wind, but the words nevertheless made it to the two dragon riders. Both then promptly repeated the message over their own shoulder, passing it down the column.

A few seconds later, Hiccup stuck out his right arm, and clicked the tail-fin into position. He and Toothless banked ever so slightly, graciously turning in a slow, lazy movement. The formation followed, wings tilted, tails adjusted, humans shifted their weight, and soon enough, the whole arrow-head formation performed a wide turn in direction for the village.

They flew around the island a couple of times, getting the hang of calm and relaxed flight. But came a moment when Toothless and Hiccup agreed to step it up a notch. So, they slowed, reached the center of the formation, and gestured to all the recruits to fly a little closer. And now that the winds had calmed, Hiccup could yell loud enough to be heard by all.

" We're gonna fly through these sea stacks !" He pointed down to the menacing stone towers and arches, abruptly protruding from the blue sea like splinters.

Every human's eyes widened under their helmet, and even a few of the dragons found their heart to have skipped a beat.

" WHAT ?!" Exclaimed a man atop a green nadder. " Are you crazy ?!"

" A bit...! But as a wise man once told me : ' I believe in learning on the job ! ' Now follow me ! "

And with the wave of an arm and the click of a tail-fin, he and Toothless went plummeting down towards the sea. The first to follow were Arash and his monstrous nightmare, they dove straight after the teen and his night fury, whooping out of fear and excitement.

All followed, wondering what on earth had possessed them to go through with this. They dove in a messy group, picking up speed, lots of speed. But it was too late to turn back, and the disorganized squad of flying pairs pulled up just before the blue waves. Wings skimmed the sea, sending drops of water flying into the following pairs.

They were going faster than ever before, still going with the grand momentum of the dive. Riders clung to their dragon brethren, flattening themselves against the saddle to minimise wind resistance. They approached the sea stacks, tall and towering in their stance, imposing and mighty.

" Trust your dragon ! " Yelled Hiccup over his shoulder as one last reminder, right before they entered the forest of sea stacks.

A couple of yells ensued as the group disappeared amongst the tall arches and towers of stone. But all one could perceive through the action and speed was the thunderous crash of the waves, the freshness of the sea, the darkness due to the stacks' shadows, the cold air, the force of being crushed to the saddle as your dragon maneuvered it's way through the danger, the whoosh of the air as one skims mere inches away from rock. It was terrifying, yet wonderful at the same time.

And then, as abruptly as it all started, they emerged into sunlight. Out of the chaos, out of the danger. They flew in a calm, straight line, as they recovered, collecting their breath and wits. Some cheered, some chuckled disbelievingly, some collapsed head first onto the saddle, some emptied their breakfast into the sea, and some argued to go again. Dragons squawked, crooned, barked and growled as they each dealt accordingly with their flustered rider. Either reassuring them, scolding them, or congratulating them.

It was called a day. And as the group calmly regained altitude to head back to the village, Hiccup couldn't help but look back over his shoulder, and let a smile creep up his face.


	28. Chapter 28

**Just a small reminder that this story is going to be quite long...I'd like to say we're about hit the halfway mark, but there's no way of knowing for sure. Regardless, this chapter is another 'calm' chapter, but fear not, for I have much in store for you and Dreki.**

 **Sorry for taking so long...Writer's block is many a story teller's bane. Also, this chapter is unedited and may contain a few mistakes.**

 **Rant Over !**

* * *

As Hiccup stood with Toothless before the finalized version of his creation, he couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction surge from his chest. A proud smile crept up the size of his mouth, even though a strong gust of wind temporarily threw his auburn hair before his eyes, partly blinding him for ten seconds straight.

Toothless on the other hand, was wholly unimpressed. Or at least, he acted like it. The big dragon merely set himself down on the damp lush grass and stared nonchalantly at the creaking structure. His eyelids were half-closed with an air of casual indifference as he stretched his paws, exposing his glistening back to the afternoon sun in the process.

Hiccup, looked down at the dragon who lay besides him, expecting to see enthusiasm and joy equal to his own. Indeed, he was disappointed.

" Aw cm'on ! You have to admit it's kinda cool ?! "

 **"** **At least** **it works." Granted the cocky dragon with a huff and a snarky smile.**

" Hey ! My inventions always work...Ok, most of the time..." Hiccup looked back towards the small building, throwing his arms in his exclamation. " But this ! T-This is better than I ever imagined ! "

The building in question was built upon a plot of land by the river which fed into the irrigation channels for Dreki's fields. The river, was at it's most powerful here, and hence granted the best option for the placement of the world's first water mill. Albeit, it was rather simple in its design. Hiccup's water mill merely consisted of a wheel turned by water, connected to a horizontal axis, in turn connected to a vertical axis, which then served to turn a grindstone. It might not sound very impressive, but until now, the most advanced system of the kind involved turning the grindstones with cattle. Which, as one might imagine, isn't nearly as efficient. Or interesting.

The farmers on Dreki, now had the means to multiply their output. And as the island's soil was incredibly fertile, and farming techniques from around the world were combined by the multicultural Drekians, one thing became increasingly clear. Food would not go amiss on Dreki, especially if the dragons kept fishing so much.

Hiccup was interrupted in his reverie by the sound of flapping wings. Both he and Toothless' head turned to the blue sky to witness Jitters and Marcus come in for a landing. They did so elegantly, graciously setting foot on the green grass. Marcus, who's face was flushed with red after an intense flight, unhooked his harness and leapt from the saddle. He landed with a thump, and completed the motion with a content smile as he removed his thick riding gloves.

" Still in admiration of your own creation ? " Said the Roman as he unsaddled Jitters, who was repetitively clicking his tongue.

" Nah...It's just...It worked first time around, it usually never does."

" Hah ! Yeah well I'm surprised it didn't explode or anything."

 **" It's made of wood..."** Pointed out Toothless with a cynical grunt.

 **" I think it's actually rather ingenious."** Said Jitters with a squawk, he tilted his head and nodded at the small building. **" No else thought of it."**

" Well at least someone on this island recognises my efforts." Scoffed Hiccup with mock extrentricity.

" Talking about Jitters..." Started Marcus with a cheeky smile. " Has he told you yet ? "

Hiccup was honestly confused." Told me what ? "

 **" Oh no..."** Moaned Jitters, shaking his head as it sunk to the ground.

Marcus continued with a knowing look on his face. " I'm surprised he hasn't told you yet."

Hiccup could sense Jitters turning red under his own scales. **" Marcus, why do you have to embarrass me like this ? "**

" Told me what for Odin's sake ? I'm growing a beard here !"

" Well, someone's found a little sweetheart..." Mocked Marcus, giving Jitters a congratulatory pat on the neck and a nudge of the elbow.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, then let a smile take over. " Who ? "

" Kata, the green Nadder who loves to free-fall. She's moving in with us tomorrow. "

" Cool, I'm happy for you Jitters."

Jitters sat himself down at Toothless' side and pouted : **" Yeah, I'd be even happier if it wasn't for that blundering idiot who decided it'd be a great idea to embarrass me by telling anyone whom he crosses paths with..."**

Marcus crouched besides his dragon brother and wrapped his arms around his neck in a feigned attempt at consoling the pouting Nadder. " Aww...Don't be mad at me, I'm just having a little fun."

The nadder feigned misery. **"A little too much fun actually...** **"**

 **" Well, to be entirely frank, you'd do exactly the same thing to Marcus were he in your shoes.** **"** Pointed out Toothless.

" Absolutely ! " Exclaimed the Roman. " And one day he will, but in the meantime, we have a training session planned for about now and we're already late, so we better move ! "

* * *

An hour later, Hiccup and Toothless went after Jitters and Marcus to check in on the training. They flew close to the tree tops, silently and speedily, getting a maximum amount of pleasure and enjoyment out of simply flying back down to the village.

They landed on the sturdy grey rooftop of one of the houses surrounding the main plaza. It was, in fact, the butchery. And while Hiccup hopped off Toothless to sit dow on the slanted tiles, the curious night fury was quickly distracted by the chimney, which was producing a rather alluring scent of roasting meat. The dragon first sniffed the stone structure curiously, then decided to try and stick his nose down it, though his head wouldn't fit. He quickly pulled out coughing and wheezing as he emptied his lungs of the smoke. Hiccup chuckled.

Hiccup chuckled. " Silly..."

Toothless glared at him and stuck out his tongue.

Hiccup ignored his brother, and resumed his observation of the training squad below.

On the plaza, were ten pairs of dragons and humans clad in leather armor. They were all equally spaced-out, and swinging at invisible and immaterial foes, always repeating the same moves. The particularity of this, was the curious melee fighting style adopted by the soldiers, a style known only to Drekians. It's based around the synchronization of a Dragon and his human partner's moves, though the humans are not mounted, they fight besides or in front of their larger brethren, this allows for complex attacks. Marsaili and her Monstrous Nightmare for instance, were practising a move in which Marsaili would stab forwards with her short sword, and then, supposing it was parried by the opponent, her partner would swing her claws from the other direction.

Many moves had been composed and perfected by every pair based on their weapons, sizes, strengths, and weaknesses under WarBear's careful supervision. The large man in question was recognised for his abilities, in fact, he was the best melee fighter on Dreki. Rivaled only by Marcus on a good day, and even then, spars would only produce draws. The man was now walking amongst the practising pairs, dropping a line of advice here and there.

Hiccup found himself musing for a while about why exactly the giant bald man had never found a brother or sister amongst the dragons. But after a few minutes of silent contemplation, it became clear to him that the man could no longer bond with anybody else. For his soulmate had already left the world. His wife. WarBear was more than content on Dreki, that much was sure, but if one looked closely enough one could see that he is yet another being plagued by the loss of its other half, a half found only in someone else, someone irreplaceable.

Though the man's logic was clear. He missed his wife, that much was true, but he wouldn't let it bring him down. For he knew he would see her again, in good time, and that he'd better enjoy his stay in this world. Then he'd have a story to tell when they'll finally be together again. He was strong.

In the distance, to his left, Hiccup could see two figures kneeling down by plants in Qwynel's garden. Qwynel and Erlend. A smile grew on Hiccup's lips, those two were the living proof that it can never be too late for love. And anyone would say they deserved it, especially Qwynel.

A whistle from the plaza caught the teen's attention again. They were switching from individual exercises to a practise ground battle formations. This, was led by Marcus. After an extremely short vote cast before dinner a while back, all had agreed that the most qualified as ground tactical expert was Marcus. His traditional Roman military training was meant to prepare him to be a commanding officer, and a commanding officer he had become, just not the one anybody expected.

Hiccup had asked Marcus to instruct defensive formations as a priority, as most attacks would be led as a air-ground assault. So, as the afternoon dragged on, the soldiers were taught how to produce an effective barricading formation. Consisting of a medium line alternating dragon and human, dragons used their wing and claws while humans stuck out spears and javelins. The end result was a rather terrifying wall of spikes and claws that could shoot fireballs and spray poisonous darts. Essentially any attacker's worst nightmare.

The effectiveness of the hybrid fighting styles and clever formations made up for the lack of numbers the squad was plagued with. Indeed, while all of their Viking neighbours had a village entirely composed of fighters, Dreki possessed a rather large proportion of non-fighters. But none were concerned, as their equipment, armor, strategies and techniques were fashioned against the most probable threat. Vikings.

And they had all the chances in the world, for they were prepared.

* * *

The next morning was calm, as it usually was. The first rays of light were pouring over the horizon while most of the Drekians still slumbered. The silence had taken over, while a particular stillness of the trees and wildlife made the world seem like a frozen image, completely unmoving.

The only soul to be up and about was the butcher, a hardy woman with a strong build who enjoys two simple things : rising early, and walking. Hence, her mornings were routinely occupied with an early morning stroll.

In normal circumstances, the village would remain inactive for another two or three hours, still covered by the blanket of silence. But that day was plagued with the pressing need for an early rise, and much more...

A cry tore through the air, shattering the still silence. Boots tapped against the cobblestone of the plaza, a wooden stick hammered against a metal bucket in an attempt to wake the Drekians. The butcher hollered with a deep but breathless voice : " RAIDERS ! ON THE BEACH ! "


	29. Chapter 29

**WARNING : Violence, plenty of it. And it's not just bruises. You've been warned.**

 **If you want to skip the chapter, there's a short description of what happens right at the end.**

 **Enjoy !**

 **Rant Over.**

* * *

All the Drekians stood in a huddled group on the village plaza, surrounding Hiccup and the butcher. The air was thick with morning mist and sharp with frost, hardly ideal conditions for a defense of the village.

" Who are they, and how many ? " Urged Hiccup, as alarmed as the others.

" The ships aren't Viking, more likely pillagers from the south. And there's more than forty of 'em ! " Panted the large woman. " They're disembarking on our beach as we speak ! "

" That leaves us less than five minutes..." Mumbled Hiccup in realization, eyes widening, two seconds of intense thinking followed. Then, Hiccup suddenly turned to Toothless besides him, and climbed his back. Though it was not fly, instead, he stood high, seen by all within the sea of faces surrounding him. Toothless orientated his shoulder blades, forming a flat surface for the teen to stand on.

" Ok, this is what we'll do..." He started, gesturing in the directions he spoke of. " All non-fighters regroup in the main hall and barricade the door, Qwynel, you're in charge there ! Soldiers, you have three minutes to equip yourselves, regroup just before the path leading to the beach to form a blockade ! Do you all understand ?! "

The group gave a loud ' Aye ! ' mixed with growls and grunts.

" Good. Now go ! "

In seconds, the group was dispersed, people hurrying away in all directions for frantic preparation. Running boots and shoes could be heard against the pavements as the men, women and dragons disappeared into the fog. Hiccup hoped off Toothless, and came up to Marcus.

" We can't afford to get anyone up in the air..." Stated Hiccup hurriedly. "...We need them all on the ground to keep them from getting to the village."

Marcus gave a rigid nod and a serious look." I thought as much, the path to the beach is a good bottleneck to exploit."

" But how do we stop them from flanking us ? I didn't think this far ahead. If they go through the woods they'll have our sides in no time ! ..."

" That's easy to fix, you and Arash are the best shots here. Take a rooftop on each side and down anyone who tries to go around."

Hiccup nodded." Right, see you there ! " And with that, Hiccup and Toothless ran back towards their house. They burst through the wooden door, and immediately rushed for the shelves carrying their armor. In less than two minutes, they were fully equipped.

Suddenly, Einarr ran out of his room and into the forge, clutching his book with crossed arms over his chest.

" What are you doing here ?! " Exclaimed Hiccup, the boy stared back with terror in his large eyes. " You're supposed to be in the hall ! "

" I-I had to get my book..." Stuttered the boy with a trembling lip.

" Argh ! Go ! Now ! You can't be out here !" Urged Hiccup.

" But what about you and Toothless ?! "

" JUST GO ! "

The boy flinched, then nodded and sprinted out of the house, the patter of his feet distanced itself until no longer audible. Hiccup slung his quiver over his shoulder and deployed his crossbow with a sharp 'snap!'. His eyes met with Toothless', and both shared a grave look.

" You ready ? " Asked the boy with an unsure tone.

 **"Always."** Huffed the dragon. Hiccup smiled nervously, and reached to tighten the strap resting against Toothless' right cheek which secured his hard leather 'helmet'. The only piece of armor the night fury had accepted to wear. A piece of armor that protected his nose, brow, and upper skull, one Hiccup had insisted he'd wear.

They left their house in a jog for the outskirts of the village, where the path met the entrance to the settlement. An eerie feeling took over the pair as they trotted through the fog while shivers ran up and down their spines. They got to the rally point, where two double-storied buildings hung back on either side and not far behind the line of human and dragon warriors that had formed at the end of the path. Arash, was already in position, and his faint outline could be seen atop of the roof through the fog, on overwatch, guarding the left flank with a piercing eye and a notched arrow.

Hiccup left Toothless' side to head for the tannery. He opened the unlocked door with a ram of his shoulder pad and went straight for the stairs. He climbed, feet hammering against the wooden steps. He reached the second floor, from there he used a hatch which allowed access to the roof.

He climbed out of the house onto the slanted blue tiles, wet and glistening in the morning fog. He took care not to slip as he made his way to the end of the rooftop, where he crouched, loaded his crossbow, and waited. Silence took over, down to his left, Hiccup could see the outline of the formation, waiting with terrified anticipation for the approaching raiders.

Seconds later, heavy steps and clattering armor could be heard down the path. Originating from a source yet to be seen, terrifyingly dissimulated by the fog. The sounds of steps accelerated, the clatter of armor and weapons intensified. Furious warcries sailed through the air, growing louder and louder as they approached. The raiders had broken into a charge.

" BRACE ! " Yelled Marcus from the center of the line.

The humans and dragons edged closer together. Breathing quickened, hands tightened around weapons, fangs were barred, pupils contracted into raging slits, teeth were gritted, and paws clawed at the ground. Eyes looked on with a mix of fear, anticipation, and a fierce determination to defend what they worked so hard to build. But all these violent and fearful eyes saw was fog, never-ending whiteness all around.

They wouldn't let them have it. No, they had worked so hard for this, and been too lucky. This was all they had, a roof, food, a fire, a family, a community. All of which they had not dared to dream of during their period of misery, all of which they had worked so hard to earn. None of them were ready to give it up. If they were to lose it, they'd might as well just die.

The sounds grew closer. Anytime now.

Dark figures appeared from the mist. Vague shadows wielding outlines of swords, shields, and spears. Though the figures wore helmets, those were not horned.

Marcus yelled his order : " FIRE ! "

A multicolored volley of fire, plasma, acid, poisonous spikes, and javelins lurched forwards. The deafening sound of the release of the volley was soon followed by the sounds of explosions, impacts, and bodies hitting the ground. The earth shook, ears ringed, dirt fell back down to the ground in a rain of mud and dust.

The charge was thinned, and while many shadows now lay motionless on the ground, more than triple the amount appeared behind them, charging with a renewed vigor. There would be no second volley, not if the enemy was this close. Instead spears, swords, claws, horns, wings, and shields were angled in preparation for the impact.

The charge met the blockade with the force of a twenty-metre wave against a rock, or that of a barrel of blood hitting the ground when dropped from the clouds. Metal clashed upon metal, claws against shields. Sparks flew between swords. Dragons sprayed their fiery doom as humans stabbed between sheets of armor and around shields.

Cries of rage, pain, and horror rose over the roars of dragons. Sparks flew as swords met, and blood splattered from one face to another. Sweat mixed with blood and tears, an awful brew.

From the rooftop, Hiccup could only see the outlines of the melee. Briefly illuminated by an eventual flash of fire. It was like a horrible play of shadow puppets, one of murder and violence, as beings tore at each other for victory. One that left the boy breathless.

His heart leaped when a particular series of explosions sounded, easily recognizable, purple flashed through the mist. Toothless.

He drew a sharp breath.

The corner of his eye caught figures something. Figures trying to sneak around the line of Drekian warriors in an attempt to flank them. Hiccup steadied his crouched position and brought the crossbow to his cheek. One exhale, and the bolt flew, whistling through the air until the sound of a sharp 'thunk' could be heard as it punched through a helmet. The shadow fell to the ground, and the others froze in their tracks. Hiccup reloaded, and repeated the process.

'Snap !', 'ZZzzz', ' Thunk !', ' Thud !'.

I often wondered if his father would have been proud of him then.

This time, the other figures moved hastily. Promptly turning tail and moving out of range. The teen gave a sigh of relief. They wouldn't try that again. But his chest tightened as his gaze redirected to the main melee. The battle raged on, loud and violent. Hiccup, couldn't help, he couldn't shoot, not being able to tell a friend from a foe. There was no way of knowing who was who. Slowly, both lines of allies and enemies mixed, turning into a brutal and chaotic struggle.

The flanking shadows returned, only this time, three of them dangerously aligned themselves to face him. Hiccup, fired, one body hit the ground. He was about to reload when suddenly, out of the fog, came a javelin sailing towards him, twisting as it flew. A silent bringer of death gracefully gliding through the air. Reflexes took over. Hiccup yelped, throwing himself to the side. The javelin sailed past him, narrowly missing his small chest.

Reflexes took over. Hiccup yelped, throwing himself to the side. The javelin sailed past him, narrowly missing his small chest.

But Hiccup was off the roof's spine, and was sliding down the wet slanted tiles. He slipped on his back, and perceived to his dismay that he was running out of roof to slide on. His stomach lurched as he slid off it, and fell through the air feet first. Blood surged to his head. His arms flailed behind him, crossbow promptly following. Arrows spilled out of his quiver. His heart pumped. His brain panicked.

The ground approached, his eyes widened.

'CRACK !'

* * *

The battle raged around them.

Marcus knelt by his dear friend. Who lay on his side, curled over his left leg. Blood soaked the ground under him, his auburn hair sticking in the growing puddle. Hiccup's cries of pain were dimmed by the thunderous sound of combat nearby them. Tears streamed down the boy's face.

The Roman knelt by Hiccup, and quickly inspected him. His stomach lurched upon seeing his leg, fractured in several spots, bone sticking out in shards through the skin. Blood flowed like a river.

" Futuo ! " Swore the swordsman, eyes stuck on the mangled mass of flesh and bone.

Suddenly, a man with two swords came up to the pair, as if materializing through the fog. Tall, armored with chain mail. He swung both blades in an attempt to decapitate the kneeling teen, who dodged with a swift bow. A murderous roar followed, emanating from behind Marcus. A roar that meant trouble.

Toothless.

The night fury leaped over the pair, grabbing mid-flight the man's head in his maw, dragging him along along as he landed. The dragon graciously alighted, skidding against the dirt. He still gripped the man's head, and spent no time before abruptly yanking on his catch. Hot blood sprayed.

Marcus focused back on his friend. He grabbed his small shoulder, shaking it.

" Hiccup we've gotta get you outta here ! "

But Hiccup merely kept on yelling in agony and clutching his leg in shock. The world was all but gone to him, for he was drowned in an unimaginable pain coming from the many torn and ripped nerves in the mashed mess that was once his lower leg and foot. It felt like fire and ice, or poison and stabs. It overrun his entire body, ruling him like reigns on a horse. He could think only of that. Pain.

" Cm'on ! " Urged his friend. But it was no use. Marcus pursed his lips and shook his head. " I'm sorry friend, but I have no choice. " And with that, he gave a strong blow to the head with the pommel of his gladius, knocking Hiccup out cold. The teen fell limp and silent.

" I'll get you out of here I promise." He waved to the fighting night fury. " TOOTHLESS ! COVER US ! "

* * *

 **Battle erupts as the Drekians form a defensive line against the overwhelming raider forces. Hiccup stations himself on a rooftop of a double-storied house to cover the line's right flank, but dodging an incoming javelin causes him to topple from the rooftop and land with his entire weight on his left leg. The lines are broken and the battle gets messy, fighting rages around the wounded boy. Marcus and Toothless come to his rescue and are forced to knock him out cold in order to distance him from the fight. The boy's mangled leg caused him such pain that he was ignorant of the world around him and remained in shock.**


	30. Chapter 30

" NO ! You can't do that ! " Yelled Marcus, slamming a fist against the wooden wall.

" We have to, otherwise he might not make it. " Insisted Qwynel, trying to keep her faltering composure.

" That's his riding leg ! He needs it to operate the saddle ! "

" I know, but we can't just- "

" I won't let you ! " Warned the teen, shooting a violent glare and pointing an accusing finger at the old woman. " There has to be another way..."

Qwynel pinched her brow in exasperation. " It won't heal. I've already told you ! It can't heal, at this point the only thing that awaits Hiccup is gangrene. And that's only _if_ he doesn't bleed out first."

" But he'll never be able to fly again ! "

" He'll find a way. You know he will. "

The front door to Qwynel's house burst open, and in ran Einarr.

" HICCUP ?! "

" Aw shit..." Swore Marcus. He turned away from the table on which lay Hiccup and turned to the boy who sprinted towards him. " Einarr... He's gonna be alright I swear-..." He started, but was quickly interrupted by the distressed boy.

" I WANT TO SEE HIM ! " Cried the boy with a broken voice. Tears streamed down his flushed cheeks.

Marcus stepped forward and caught the boy, he knelt down to face him and blocked his view from the table behind him. The boy struggled to get past the Roman, but was held by a tight grip on his small shoulders.

" He's going to be fine-"

" NO ! I WANT TO SEE HIM ! "

" Einarr you'll see him when he gets better, right now he- "

The boy's voice sounded like it was about to shatter any minute." WHY WON'T YOU JUST LET ME ?! "

" Because you can't."

" WHY ?! HE'S ALL I HAVE ! "

" Because he wouldn't want you to see him like this..."

" BUT- " Though Einarr never got to finish his sentence, for he was suddenly lifted from the ground and slung over the teen's shoulder. Marcus walked towards the front door carrying the boy, ignoring his yells and kicks. When he reached the darkwood front door he turned around to face Qwynel once more, gave her a grave look, and said with a defeated tone over Einarr's din :

" Alright. Do it. For all our sakes."

And with that, he carried Einarr outside, slamming the door behind him. And Qwynel reached for her tools.

* * *

Toothless' chest felt like it was going to explode. A furious burning, like that of a swallowed plasma ball consumed his insides. It was a curious mix of anger, pain, and the re-apparition of an ancient fear. The fear of losing Hiccup.

Jitter's tapping against the cobblestone didn't help. He meant to keep the night fury company, but unfortunately there was only one person that could soothe Toothless that day, and that was Hiccup himself.

The dragon's nostril's were blocked by the horrid smell of human blood. As his entire nose and face was still coated in it, as were his paws. While most dragons had bothered to clean themselves as soon as the battle ended, Toothless was too preoccupied with his rider's well being. The dried blood sickened him, and only added to the myriad of devastating sensations plaguing the dragon.

He hadn't been allowed into the house, and it took all his self-control not to tear down that door and barge in to lick the boy back to life. If only it was so simple. If only he was there to...Catch him...Or something. Toothless didn't know what he should or could have done, but he felt like there was something he didn't do that would have changed the outcome of things. Only one victim amongst the all the Drekians, and it just had to be his Hiccup !

He cursed fate, the evil that had been playing tricks on them since the beginning of it all. He cursed whatever gods the boy believed in for casting such misery and fear on them. He cursed the raiders, for causing so much pain as a consequence of their greed. But of all those he cursed, he only truly blamed himself.

The door opened, and out came Marcus carrying a screaming and fighting Einarr. Though the teen did not stop, he continued walking, straight across the plaza all the way to he and Hiccup's house. They entered, and remained a few minutes. Eventually, the Roman teen emerged, and walked towards the two dragons slowly, exhausted by the battle and wrestling with the furious little boy.

He stood before Toothless, and stared at the ground in silence. Trying to find a way how to phrase things. His shoulders sunk, his arms hung limply, and his eyes were red. He sighed.

Toothless' heart shrivelled up, dried and shrunk like a dry raisin. His jaw hung ever so slightly open in disbelief at what he was assuming the Roman would say. If it truly was what he thought it was, then the path was clear to him : Straight across the plaza, through the field of bodies, down the path that lead to the beach, and into the ocean. If Hiccup wasn't breathing then neither would he. But his bitter thoughts were cut short by the Roman's voice, sounding louder than they actually were in the morning air.

" We're taking his leg." Stated the Roman solemnly. Pursing his lips. " His left one."

The words echoed in the dragons head. It was a strange feeling. That of relief, mixed with that of the realisation that Hiccup would be crippled for life, as he was. The realization, that despite the promises the dragon made to himself to never let his Hiccup become maimed as he, he failed. He failed to keep his own promise. The words tore through his mind and ricochetted against his skull.

Failure. Crippled.

The fury's head sunk, a soft crooning escaped his throat.

* * *

Fuzzy.

It was the only word to describe Hiccup's state of mind as he slowly awoke. His sore eyes opened, and were quickly blinded by light. Sound came after, a distant gasp from a little boy's throat barely made it to his ears, soon to be followed by :

" He's awake ! "

Little hands wrapped around his thin arm. His mind worked, trying to correlate these hands with someone. Trying to assimilate them to a name, a face, a voice.

Einarr.

It was Einarr.

Hiccup tried a smile, he turned his head to the right, only to see the vague and blurred face of the little boy he cared for. He felt a blast of warm and humid air to his left, he turned his head again and saw a black scaled nose, which promptly proceeded to rub itself in his face.

Toothless.

Hiccup merely managed a lazy " Ah...No...Don't...Lick..."

But it was too late, the sticky tongue had already drawn across his cheek and brow leaving a trail of sticky saliva.

" Ugh..." He moaned.

His vision came back gradually. Enough for him to witness Marcus and Qwynel enter the room.

" Hey." Said the Roman with an artificial tone. Unsure how to break the news to his friend.

" Hey..." Managed Hiccup. " ...What happened ? "

An icy pause followed.

" You don't remember ? " Asked Qwynel, raising an eyebrow.

Hiccup shook his head, unsure." Uh...No..."

" There was the battle... " Said Einarr, still hesitant in his words.

" I..." Started Hiccup, but then the memories came flooding back. The roof. The fall. The Leg. He froze.

The leg !

Hiccup directed his gaze to the end of the bed. Where the familiar two lumps of his feet propping up the covers should have been. But there was only one. A sickening lurch shook his stomach, as if he was just shoved off a cliff. His throat gave a tight twinge, his fingertips grew cold, his muscles tensed and his eyes narrowed.

He tried in vain to wriggle his toes. Nothing.

Slowly, he lifted the covers of his improvised hay bed, and hoisted them off his body. Those around him pursed or bit their lips, or dropped their heads. Toothless let an appalled croon escape his throat, though unbeknownst to Hiccup, who was entirely focused in his slow unraveling of the bed covers.

And then he saw it. His left leg, cut just below the knee. Reduced to a sickening stump, his foot and lower leg gone. He was a cripple.

He was a cripple.

The auburn-haired teen instantly turned away and stuck his head in a nearby water bucket set beside his bed and vomited.

* * *

His hammer hit hard, harder than ever before. Despite the fact he was awkwardly sitting on a stool before the anvil, his blows to the hot metal were more violent than ever before. His eyes shone with fierce determination, matching with his clenched teeth.

His hits grew more brutal, escalating in power as Hiccup's sorry passion rose in his tight chest.

He wouldn't let it be so. He and Toothless would fly again. They will shoot through the sky once more, or remain forever buried in the ground.

The boy had spent too much time inactive. He was forbidden to leave his bed for two days after waking, and that only helped to accumulate his sorrow and rage. It had been bottled up, and now he was unleashing it in the creation of his prosthetic.

He will walk besides the Drekians, run besides the Drekians, and fly besides the Drekians.

Granted, he was a cripple, without a leg.

But that only meant one less member the world could take away from him.


	31. Chapter 31

**This chapter may contain some mistakes.**

* * *

 _The following message is to the attention of Chief Stoick The Vast of Berk, from Chief Kruk the Mighty of Dànor._

 _Stoick, It has been a while hasn't it ? I'm sorry we lost touch after the incident, but it has been over fifteen years, and time is known to heal any wounds. Furthermore, I'm afraid grave circumstance will force us to renew our friendship, if not our cooperation. But first, I must give my condolences for your lost son. Winter diseases have taken many on Dànor too, including my eldest daughter. But while you have had over two years to grieve, I have no time to mourn my child. She made it through winter, but the disease persevered and she was lost only yesterday._

 _Indeed, I have grave news to share. It has been two days now, since a rather peculiar ship made port in our busy docks. Trade season has seen many different ships sail our waters but none so strange as this one ! This ship was long, sleek, with two decks and three triangular sails. It was faster than any I ever saw, and tilted as it raced away. But most troubling of all, were the markings on the sails and the crew. These sails were grey, and bore a dark crest in the shape of a curled up night-fury ! The crew too, were strangers, Moores, Irishmen, Gauls, and even Romans ! They all had the crest as a tattoo, and were well-armed._

 _The leader, seemed very young, too young. I didn't see his face, for he wore a helmet, but his manner and size was that of a teenager. He wore a strange-looking metal peg-leg, to think that he's a cripple at his age ! And this is the troubling part : He announced himself as the representative of the Dreki, who have claimed Dànor's neighbouring island along with the waters five kilometres out from its centre. He said they'd be peaceful and friendly as long as we were, and that we'd be welcome anytime. But just as he and the crew turned away back to their ship, the boy stared back at me through the helmet, and I could feel the smirk he wore as he said : " But beware !...There be dragons..."_

 _And then they were gone._

 _I don't like this Stoick. This doesn't bode well. Whatever these people are doing, it's got something to do with dragons, and that can't be good for our war. I'm telling you this because you have influence amongst the other tribes, and because despite our past disagreements, I trust you._

 _My people grow restless, as do I. Please answer soon._

 _Kruk._

* * *

 _To Chief Kruk the Mighty of Dànor, from Chief Stoick The Vast of Berk._

 _I'm sorry for your daughter Kruk, it must be most troubling for you. Was she not to marry Chief Burgon's son in a week ? I'm truly sorry for this tragedy, I know how it feels. I hope you and your wife are coping._

 _I have called a meeting with the other tribes to discuss the matters you have shared with me. It is to be held on Freezing To Death, a key central location of the archipelago. You will obviously be expected to be there and share your side of the story. But I must ask you not to attempt any interaction with the Dreki until further notice, this could go wrong very quickly. If they announced themselves to us, then it means they deem themselves ready to be known to the world. We mustn't underestimate them._

 _For all we know there could be twenty of them, or five hundred. Either way we must proceed with caution._

 _I shall see you during the assembly a week from now._

 _Odin guide us._

 _Your friend Stoick._

* * *

 _The following message is to the attention of Chief Stoick The Vast of Berk, from Chief Kruk the Mighty of Dànor._

 _I knew I could trust you Stoick, we are experiencing a great wave of relief here on Dànor. You've always known to be the man of the situation, hopefully the assembly will find a solution and sort this out. We leave for Freezing To Death tomorrow, and I look forward to shaking your hand once more._

 _As for how we're coping for Aerika's death...Well, you know how it is. You try your best not to show it and stay strong for those who look up to you. My wife, Breana on the other hand...She's not herself. She's like a candle that's been blown out, cold, dark._

 _But we persevere and push on. Hoping that things will eventually get better. They do don't they ?_

 _I shall see you at the dawn of next week._

 _Your good friend Kruk._

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless never treasured flight so much before, especially night flight. Both considered it a blessing that despite having lost their left limbs, they somehow managed to shoot through the sky thanks to Hiccup's expertise.

Now, they soared around the island, tearing through the darkness of the night. It had been two whole hours now, neither could get enough of it. The speed, the wind, the cold, the acceleration, sudden drops...But they needed to return to the village, they had a long day ahead of them.

But as Toothless flared his wings in order to slow their decent towards the plaza, the pair heard the clamoring of a small angry crowd. They landed gracefully on the cobblestone, and Hiccup hoped off before looking around for the source of the noise, puzzled. Nothing should be happening at this time of night.

A small crowd of human and dragon Drekians marched onto the plaza. Holding torches, yelling, growling, shooting fists into the air, and looking rather discontent. This, attracted others from their homes, peeking out their front door or walking towards the small mob with a look as puzzled as Hiccup's.

The crowd stopped, and seemed to focus on something in its center. Throwing insults at it and pointing accusing fingers.

Hiccup glanced at Toothless, both frowned.

They walked hurriedly to the mob, Hiccup's prosthetic sounding against the pavement. And as they approached they could hear familiar voices spit insults in all sorts of languages and dialects, some of which were incomprehensible. Hiccup stopped and stood, trying to hear himself think over the clamoring.

Eventually, he turned to Toothless and gave him a short nod. The dragon answered the nod and turned to crowd, drew a long breath, and let out a thunderous roar. The ground shook. Silence followed.

Hiccup, allowed a few moments for the stunned Drekians to turn and face them. He crossed his arms and frowned.

" What's going on here ? "

Nothing but silence.

Hiccup stepped forward, his foot clicking on the stone ground seemed to cut through the thick silence. The crowd silently parted for him to see it's focus of attention.

There, was a tall Gaul by the name of Gardemont who held in one hand his drawn sword, and in the other the blonde pony-tail of a teenage girl, who was sitting on the ground, struggling to break free from the large man's grasp.

She looked terrified. Her blue eyes were wide with panic and her mouth slightly agape in horror. Her hands clawed at her captive's large fist that held her up by her hair, which was obviously painful. She wore typical Viking apparel, complete with fur boots and coat and a thick wool shirt and a loosened red scarf.

" We found her stealing near the supply barns ! She's probably a spy sent by those bastards on Dànor ! " Explained the Gaul.

Hiccup paused, then shook his head, disgraced and disappointed. " Do you really think they'd send a sixteen-year-old to do their spying ?! Uh ?! Do you ?! " He looked around, frowning questioningly.

Dragons and humans looked down at their feet and muttered.

" But she still stole from _our_ supplies ! I say we claim justice _right_ here, _right_ now ! " The Gaul brought the sword to the girl's throat, who instantly started struggling and panting with twice the intensity.

The crowd encouraged with yells and whoops.

Hiccup pointed an authoritative finger et the man. " You will do no such thing Gardemont ! "

" But- !"

" I DARE YOU to challenge that statement ! "

" The man fell silent."

" Give me that sword."

The Gaul gave a confused look to the boy.

" Give it ! "

He handed him the short blade. Hiccup took it, and turned to the crowd, which had now tripled in size. He held up the sword over his head and said : " We _cannot_ regress to this barbarism... and just kill without justification ! Are we not better than that ?! "

The crowd gave a mumble, though Hiccup was unsure of its meaning. He pointed back at the girl without looking.

" We will offer her food and shelter, then we will hear all sides of the story, including her own. Only then will we vote for our course of action ! And this sword will only serve once we are absolutely sure that it serves _justice_! And _not_ pointless slaughter..."

Silence.

" Marsaili ! "

The red-haired woman emerged from the crowd.

" Yah ? "

" How tired are you tonight ? "

" Not that much...Why ? "

" Good. " He handed her the sword.

" Take her to Qwynel's, get her food and medical attention if she needs it. Treat her fair."

" Aye."

" Alright ! We'll sort this out tomorrow. Until then, go to bed. Get some rest."

The crowd dissolved with an avalanche of mumbles and growls, some relieved, some disappointed. Hiccup turned around to see Gardemont, scowling with clenched fists.

" We should have just killed her ! " Grumbled the man.

Hiccup just scoffed." And then what ? Have an army of Vikings on our doorstep for killing one of their children ? "

" We don't know where she comes from ! she's probably factionless."

" No...She's probably from Dànor. One person can only travel so far..."

" Then how did she get here ? "

" Take a walk on the beach, see if you can find a small boat or something...If not, then either she sneaked on ourship when we visited Dànor, or she didn't come here alone. "

" Alright... I'll look for the ship."

The man turned to leave and walk across the now deserted plaza.

" Hey, Gardemont ? "

" Huh ? "

" Sorry for...Contradicting you in front of the others...It's just that we can't afford to act brashly. Not in our position anyway."

" It's okay, I understand. I was being stupid..."

And with that, the man walked his large stature towards the path leading to the beach. Leaving Hiccup and Toothless alone on the dark and silent plaza.

" Well bud, I have a feeling this is gonna be messy."

 **"** **You don't say...** **"** Snorted the night fury.

" I guess we have have to go talk to her now...Whoever she is."

 **" No, _you're_ gonna talk to her. I'm going to bed." ** The dragon waddled off towards the house.

" Thanks for the support ! I appreciate it, really ! " Yelled Hiccup after him before sighing.

* * *

Hiccup sat in Qwynel's home, sitting at the table before the ragged-looking girl, faithfully flanked by his good friend Marcus, WarBear, and the elder monstrous nightmare who resided with Qwynel. The girl was voraciously swallowing a plate of beans and mutton, producing a loud chewing and swallowing noise. But despite her ravenous attack on her food, the girl regularly gave a hardened yet cautious stare at the only dragon seated at the table. Her stare was piercing and fearful, yet full of despisal despite the old dragon's peaceful manners. The monstrous nightmare lay tiresomely on the ground with her scarred head resting heavily on the large wooden table. The elder dragon did not budge, despite the eroding stares propelled at her by the untrusting teenager. Her stillness and steady breathing was suddenly interrupted by a huff she gave.

The girls eyes widened and her frantic chewing interrupted itself as her chair scraped against the wooden floor, it was moved backwards a few centimetres in an act of surprise.

" Why did it do that ?! " She asked, on the edge of panic. Her brain was torn between fight or flight.

" Fairuza was asking a question. " Answered Hiccup simply. " She was wondering when was the last time you ate. "

" That thing has a name ?! Wha- ? That thing can ask questions ?! "

Hiccup frowned, already losing his patience. " That 'thing' is older, wiser, and more respected than any of us at this table. And she'd appreciate it if you used her name : Fairuza "

The girl gave an incredulous look, as if she were talking to madmen." You gave it a Thor-damned name ? "

" 'Fairuza' is the only name she accepted to carry." Scoffed Marcus, chuckling at his own statement. The lonely chuckle soon died as everyone else's faces remained as stubborn as stone.

The girl in particular, held a mask of mixed fear and disgust. Hiccup thought it was a shame really, these negative expressions didn't fit her elegant face. An elegant face, pale, and as sharp as a knife, with a nose delicately curved upwards towards its extremity and a thin pair of lips. The pale skin was coloured by grime and dirt, and her hair was chaotic. Hiccup imagined that blonde hair would normally flow down in a silky fashion, if it wasn't for the pony-tail and the thick greasy strands of hair that remained as a consequence of several days at sea. A stray twist of hair fell before her left eye, and hovered sulkily above her plate, threatening to touch her food. Her eyes, were of a deep blue, like that of a lagoon. Though the teenager avoided the Drekian gazes by staring down at her plate, her eyelids half closed.

" So ? " Said WarBear, with his signature crossed arms, irritated. " How long ago did you eat ? "

The girl muttered her answer as she focused once more on her food." Two days...Maybe three. "

Marcus pursed his lips, and gave Hiccup a look. Hiccup nodded silently, and Marcus got up to get another plate of food from Qwynel's kitchen. As he left the room, three knocks sounded on the door before it opened. In the doorway stood the Gaul, holding a blazing torch in one hand and holding the door open with the other. His large shape took up at least two-thirds of the doorframe, and left little room for the ones still in the room to witness the darkness outside.

" Ah ! Gardemont." Said Hiccup, turning around on his chair. " Did you find anything ? "

" Oui. A small boat with a single sail, beached about five-hundred metres north from the path."

Hiccup turned to the girl. " Is that yours ? "

The girl hesitated with a mouth full of food, but nodded, unsure.

" Ok, thank you Gardemont. Good night."

" G'night." Sounded the man before closing the door in his wake.

Marcus came back with a steaming wooden plate, set it down beside the first one before reclaiming his seat.

" What's your name ? " Inquired Hiccup simply.

The girl didn't answer, she merely gave the boy a cold stare before returning to her second helping of food.

" You do have a name don't you ? " Insisted Marcus.

Still no answer.

Fairuza gave a low growl. Nothing aggressive. But the blonde teenager nevertheless snapped in a sudden outburst.

" What does fucking want this time !? "

Hiccup tried to keep his voice down, he fought to prevent it from escalating. " For the last time ! It's Fairuza."

" You're crazy ! You're all crazy ! " Pointed the girl with a shaky finger.

" We're crazy ? " Asked the Roman teenager, voice full of sarcasm.

" Yeah ! You're all fucking nuts ! W-Walking with these beast...T-These monsters. Have 'em sit at the Thor-damn table like a pet ! This is insane ! "

" I won't allow you to talk of dragons like that !" Warned Hiccup, fists curling up in anger on the table.

" Says a useless crippled shrimp of a boy ! " Spat the blonde.

Hiccup hit the table and got up, tipping the chair behind him.

" I'm done. " He stated with a sharp tone, and a voice of bottled anger. " We'll talk again in the morning. Enjoy the bed and food."

And with that he left the house, slamming the door behind him.


	32. Chapter 32

That morning, Hiccup hesitated lengthily before entering Qwynel's house. He needed to herd together his stampeding thoughts, and his mental strength too. This girl was a complex problem to deal with, she sickened him. Just as they sickened her.

It was a strange thing, but despite his nature, Hiccup despised...

Hiccup despised the poisonous look she sprayed around, eroding anyone it met. And he didn't fail to notice the smirk she gave him as he entered this very house last night. It was a mocking smirk, that discreetly curled up the corner of her lips when her eyes met with his prosthetic leg. A patronising smirk that said ' Ha ! A peg-leg ! '. Mocking was her only defence in her situation, and maybe in normal circumstances she wouldn't be so cruel. But it still hurt.

The young leader frowned, unaware as he was lost in a pit of pondering of how to deal with the overall situation without causing neither divide, nor chaos. Though his musing was interrupted by a soft nudge in the back. He turned around to face Toothless, who's tongue hung limply as per 'Toothless' fashion.

" **Come on !** " Grunted the dragon.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and opened the door. Their arrival into the room seemed to have interrupted a similar day-dreaming for the girl, who's stare was previously lost in her breakfast plate. But now her gaze shot up, and immediately turned sour upon meeting Hiccup's figure. But her stern look soon melted into one of fear and disbelief when Toothless padded into the room. He was in no way threatening, but his attitude was reserved and inexpressive. It was the closest thing to what we could call a 'dragon pokerface'.

The girl attempted to speak, but her mind was simply too baffled." Is- Is- that a-... a-... ? "

Hiccup wasn't inclined to answer her. But he had made a resolution, he believed if kindness and respect was given, it would eventually be returned. Eventually.

" That's Toothless." He simply answered with tone flatter and rougher than a slab of rock." And all three of us are gonna go on a walk now that you've finished your breakfast." He nodded towards the empty wooden plate.

The girl looked incredulously at Hiccup. " A walk ? Why ?"

Hiccup frowned." To hopefully get _you_ to answer some questions and help us figure out what we're gonna do with you."

" What are you going to do ? " She asked defiantly.

Hiccup walked back to the door and opened it for her, gesturing his arm towards the outside." That depends whether or not you come on that walk." A part of him shuddered when the words escaped his mouth. Threatening someone vulnerable was not in his nature, this wasn't him.

The girl hesitated. Then rose from her seat, walked past Toothless giving a wide berth between them, and stopped before Hiccup.

" What tells you I'm not gonna run ? " She frowned, sticking her nose up rebelliously.

Hiccup chuckled, and despite his nature, chuckled mockingly. " Unless you can fly faster than a dragon..."

The girl pursed her lips, mentally slapping herself for asking such a stupid question. She was smarter than that and she knew it. She stepped out, the boy and the dragon followed suit.

Hiccup gestured in the vague direction that lead to the beach. " We'll go that way."

They started walking across the paved plaza, taking in the morning activity from the village. They could hear the regular hacking of the butcher with his meat-cleaver, the chatter of two dragons on a roof-top, Marcus and a soldier sparring with batons in the centre of the paved surface... They were halfway across the plaza when a long and high-pitched howl came from a terrible terror perched on the window-sill of the tannery, his howl was joined by a gronckle, then another terror, and eventually even the tanner himself. It was a morning custom. A very disharmonious custom.

Hiccup winced and smiled. He was grateful he was up and about every morning before they started singing.

Two large men, including the Gaul, Gardemont, walked past them holding a large log over their shoulders. The Gaul spat a fiery look at the girl as they crossed paths, to which the girl only answered with her own venomous glare.

Hiccup cleared his throat while holding his fist up to his mouth in an attempt to disarm the situation and get the teen's attention.

He tightened the strap of his armour's left leather bracer." So...Let's start from the beginning. What's your name ?" He said as they distanced themselves from the loggers.

" I didn't answer you yesterday. Why would I today ? "

" Because tomorrow, after the evening meal. The whole village, including dragons, will vote on your fate. And right now, I'm pretty sure they'd have you killed." He gave a grave but not unfriendly look. " We don't take any slaves, and many of us have grown to resent outsiders."

The girl gave a look around the plaza. Many, both humans and dragons, were glaring at her with a stare one gives to a boil that recently made it's way onto your thigh. Others, turned away, and avoided her glare. The boy was right. She needed to gain the favour and pity of the locals if she wanted to survive.

The auburn-haired boy tried a friendly tone. This could work." Now I can't guarantee anything. But if you tell us your side of the story, and answer our questions. That will surely help. People here aren't cruel, they're just scared of you. If you tell us the truth, no matter how bad it is, we can be forgiving."

She turned to give him a pained look. She really wanted to believe him. " Really ? "

" Really" He assured, unsure. " Most of us here don't have the brightest or most innocent past. We all have been judged in our own way. So what's your name ? "

She hesitated, grimaced, as if pulling an arrow from her flank." I- Uh... I'm Aerika."

Hiccup smiled, and stuck out his hand. " Hiccup."

She raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled." It's a old tradition on...On..."

" On what ? "

He shook his head and gave up on the handshake" Nothing. It's good to meet you Aerika, despite the circumstances."

By then, the small party of three had made their way out of the village and were going down the path to the beach. Trees sighed around them, scattering pine needles and waving their branches as if greeting the group. The beaten path was damp, and the faint sound of feet landing in mud could be heard every time one of them took a step. Toothless grunted in protest, disgusted by the feeling of slush around his noble paws. He complained and gave a whine, understood only by Hiccup.

" **Ugh...This'll take forever to clean up...** "

" At least you'll be using your tongue for something useful." Remarked the boy cheekily.

" **Hey !** " he growled.

Aerika gave the two a puzzled look, still unconvinced of the legitimacy of the interactions. Surely a dragon was not intelligent enough to understand Norse, let alone answer in a structured manner ? But nevertheless, there was something oddly expressive about the dragons' expressions so far. Could it be ? Nah !

The trio trudged down the path, the sound of nature and footsteps ruled until Hiccup awkwardly summoned the conversation to life once more.

" So...Care to tell us just why exactly you got onto our island ?"

" I'm not a spy ! " She blurted out promptly and hatefully, gritting her teeth.

" Fine. Then why are you here ?" Asked the boy calmly.

" I...No reason really..." She said, more calmly.

Toothless scoffed and rolled his eyes, he wasn't buying it. Nor was Hiccup.

" Whether it's for cause, or because of consequence, everyone on this island is here for a reason..." Stated Hiccup.

Aerika bit her lip. She couldn't lie to the boy, that much had become clear. She quickly found herself running out of resources, she couldn't trick, fight, or negotiate her way out of this...So what was left ? Plead ? Trust the boy ? That crippled nut who calls himself a leader ?

The one-legged boy pursed his lips and shook his head as they walked. " I already saved your life...Please don't waste it...Cm'on gimme something..."

The girl sighed, and brushed the thin blonde braid from before her eye.

" I wanted to hide and steal some food...I wasn't gonna stay long ! Just enough time to fill the boat with supplies and then leave..."

" Go on...How did you get here ?"

" I saw your strange boat sail here, so I trailed you a few days later and found your settlement."

Toothless's eyes narrowed." **She comes from Dànor...** " He warned suspiciously with a low growl.

" So you come from Dànor ?" Mentioned Hiccup casually, following his brother's advice.

The teenage girl was caught off guard." What ? No ! I mean...Yeah ! No ! Not really..."

" Do you, or do you not come from Dànor ? "

Her hands ran over her face." I..." she sighed, as if giving up. her shoulders sagged. "...Yeah...I do."

" **I called it !** " Yapped the dragon.

" What's your full name ?" Frowned Hiccup.

" Aerika...Just Aerika..."

" No familly name ? You were disowned ? "

" Noooo..." Breathed the girl through gritted teeth. "...I disowned _myself_."

" Why ? "

" Because-...I _can't_ tell you that."

" You have to tell us..."

" I wont ! Not that..."

"Fine..." Hiccup stopped walking and stood still, suddenly interrupting the trio's marching in the middle of the path. "Ok..." He sighed, scratching the back of his head as he spoke. " This doesn't look good for you..."

Her eyes widened with concern. " What do you mean ?! I told you everything ! I told you what you wanted to know ! "

" I know ! I know ! But...In the end...It's not up to me. All that you just said will be presented to the assembly and then a vote will be taken."

" But-..."

" And right now...You look awfully like a dishonest spy, a plain thief, or both. And we both know what happens for each of these..."

Her eyes blazed, her brow frowned. She trusted the boy, she trusted that spineless cripple to save her if she told him everything... And now...

" ...But there is a way !" Finished the young leader.

The girl relaxed, though still wary. "How ?"

" If you lived on Dànor, and only left two days ago, you might know of recent events there..."

" What are you saying ? "

" You _could..._ Maybe...Just maybe...Buy your life with information."


	33. Chapter 33

It seemed like a million or so deafening conversations thrummed through the air. But it somehow didn't seem to disturb anyone in the hall. All sat around the oval table and remained enthralled by the clamorous debating and arguing against their neighbours or even those across the oval. They were ignoring their food. The dragons growled and snarled musically between them, the men and women waved their arms around frantically. All the conversations bore the same obviously fierce topic :

Aerika.

The only three who remained silent were Qwynel, Toothless, and Hiccup. They sat and observed with no little amount of concern and disappointment as rifts started forming between the Drekians. Good friends, and even lovers argued about the fate of that girl. Hiccup's mind raced, he bit his lip. The girl had to be saved, but he couldn't afford to have the people's unity compromised. He scowled as he thought. He scowled even more when he didn't come up with anything. His fist tightened around itself. He couldn't hear himself think, not in that din.

Qwynel placed a bony hand on his tense shoulder, the boy turned to meet her eyes, she nodded gravely. That meant it was time, this matter had to be resolved, now.

The young leader summoned his courage, and left his seat at the oval. Toothless followed suit, and they made their way around the peculiarly-shaped table to the small stage. They stood on it for some time, waiting for the room's attention. It didn't come.

A minute passed, and Toothless lost his patience. He frowned, and stomped his paw against the floorboards of the stage. A wooden 'Thump' sounded through the candle-lit hall and killed any conversation in it's way. Suddenly, two-hundred-or-so eyes fixed the pair with anticipation.

Hiccup swallowed. " As you know, tonight, we give ourselves the right to decide the fate of our prisoner... " A few 'aye's resonated from the people. "...But before we get to voting, we have to hear everyone's plea."

Silence.

" I suggest that I should direct the trial...Does anyone oppose ? "

A long silence answered.

" Very well. WarBear ? "

The giant man rose from the end of the hall, his chair scraping against the floor.

" Would you be so kind as to fetch our prisoner ? Physical restraints won't be necessary, I she can walk herself to her own trial."

The bald man nodded and walked out the hall without a world, slamming open the two massive double doors with the mere force of his arms. The doors closed behind him with a crash. A few deadly minutes of queer silence later, the doors shot open once more, blinding sunlight flooded the entrance. The girl walked in front of WarBear's imposing frame, who guided her through the doors, and around the table, to finally sit on a chair on the left flank of the stage.

Hiccup daren't look her in the eyes, he didn't want to face the scared, hateful, and despising look she reserved for him. But as she sat, he Hiccup dared to peek for half a second. To his surprise, she stared right back at him not with the stare he expected, but rather a confident light and a faint smile that suggested she had things under control. Her blue eyes were light and full of hope. The boy frowned slightly and lingered in the exchange of looks, trying to figure out the blonde girl's motive for such confidence. She has a plan, and she obviously didn't tell him everything yesterday.

He tore his eyes away from the girl and turned to his kin, who treated the girl with a mix of piteous looks and sneering glares. " Ahem...We will now start the trial, all speakers will speak for as long as they wish, uninterrupted until they are finished unless I say so. We will now start with the citizens of Dreki, do any witnesses wish to come forth ? "

" Aye, we do." Said a man, standing alongside a nadder with red streaks. It was the broad-shouldered Gaul, Guardemont.

" Speak."

" Well," He started. Keeping his hands fixed to his side." We were having a midnight stroll, just making the most of the evening when Bella here heard some'thin over by the storage barns."

Hiccup turned to the nadder." Is that true ? " He questioned.

Bella nodded twice, and squawked.

" We went to check it out..." Continued the Gaul." That's when we found her, she was rummaging around in the food stockpile, makin' a mess. I drew my sword, and together we dragged her out kicking and screamin'. I was gonna take her head off right there and then, but then Froelan showed up her hatchet after hearing the noise she was making."

" It's all true, I told him to wait for the others before killing her." Concurred Froelan from across the oval banquet table.

" I see." Said Hiccup. " Thank you Bella, Guardemont, you may sit." The pair obliged. " Are there any more witnesses that wish to make themselves heard ?"

Silence.

" Very well, we shall proceed with the prisoner's plea." He turned to Aerika, who sat proudly on the wooden chair." You must tell them all you told me yesterday...And more if you wish..."

She gave a single nod and started cleared her throat. " It is true, I came here to steal..." The crowd grumbled. "...But also to get away from Dànor." The grumbling was cut short. " I followed your ship from Dànor's port in a little sailboat to this island. By then, I was starving and thirsty-..."

" SHE'S A SPY WE ALL KNOW IT !" Yelled a woman in the crowd.

" **Kill her !** " Roared a dragon.

Toothless frowned and stomped his loudly paw on the wooden stage before roaring. " **Silence ! I won't say it a second time !** "

Complete and absolute silence followed, even the flies daren't contradict the night fury's demand. The girl resumed, somewhat emotional at the possibility of her approaching execution, but doing an excellent job of hiding it. She fiddled with her hands, which were shyly placed between her knees." I'm not a spy." She assured, calmly. " I escaped Dànor, and I don't want anything more to do with it."

"Why ?" Asked Hiccup.

She stuck her nose up." I know you want to kill me, but that would be a great mistake..." She took off a golden bracelet and handed it to Hiccup.

The boy approached, and took the bracelet. He inspected it and turned it around for a while.

" What is it ? " Asked a member of the crowd.

" A bracelet." Said Hiccup.

" **What does it mean ?** " Growled another impatiently.

" It's a golden bracelet. It's real gold, that much is sure...It's...It means she comes from the ruling family on Dànor." Murmurs of disbelief washed over the crowd like the tide.

" How can we know ?" Asked Qwynel in her usual calm manner.

Hiccup continued to inspect the bracelet as he spoke." Well, it's real gold. And it's a Viking custom on most islands of the archipelago...There's a bat engraved on the bracelet, which _is_ known for being Dànor's sigil...And there's written her name on the inside of the bracelet...Aerika Hartworthy"

" **And who rules Dànor ?** " Asked a particularly bright gronkle by the name of Fiddles.

" Chief Kruk Hartworthy, Second of his name..." Said Hiccup gravely, looking up from the bracelet to meet the mixed looks of his people.

" I demand to make my plea ! " Declared Aerika, abruptly standing from her chair.

Toothless took a step forward and growled at the girl. Hiccup turned around to face her. "Toothless is right" He said. " You are in no position to make demands, sit down." Aerika frowned and sat down. She looked like she would strangle the boy, that is if there wasn't over a hundred men, women, and dragons in the hall, including the terrifying night fury.

" We will nevertheless allow you to speak..." Finished Hiccup.

" You can't kill me." She said sternly.

" And why not ?" Asked a man closer to the stage.

" Because that wouldn't help our situation regarding our neighbours..." Finished Qwynel while rolling her eyes before Aerika could utter a word. "...Things are already bad enough as it is."

The crowd produced a few 'aye's' and nods.

" Actually, it's worse than you think..." Spoke Aerika.

" **Is it now ?** " Rumbled Toothless, frowning and cocking his head.

Aerika didn't understand him, but she could tell what he meant. " Yes...I am ready to tell you where you stand with Dànor and the rest of the archipelago, under the condition that I'm kept as an unharmed prisoner of war."

" _And..._ " Added Qwynel. " You have to tell us why exactly you left your island and family to come here."

Hiccup spoke." Does anyone object ? All in favour raise a limb and say 'aye' "

Every single arm and tail rose, accompanied by a symphony of 'aye's' and growls.

The boy turned to Aerika." Very well, speak."

" I left Dànor and renounced my family name because I was tired of being treated like cattle to be married off to some jerk with an important family name...So I left, a week before my wedding to another Chieftain's son."

" I know how you feel girl..." Muttered Lucia. This earned a few chuckles here and there.

Aerika continued : " Before I left, just three hours before your boat left Dànor, my father wrote a letter to the leader of Berk asking him to summon the rest of the tribes..."

Hiccup's heart stuttered. He concealed it, exchanged a worried look with Toothless, and pretended it never happened. The girl continued to speak. " They see you as a threat, and have no intention to make peace. They'll try to rid the archipelago of your kind, one way or another."

" How long until they decide to take action ? " Asked WarBear from the back of the hall.

Aerika shrugged." They're being prudent...They don't know much about you yet, so...One, maybe two weeks ? They still have to muster their forces and organise a campaign."

" Do you have anything to add ?" Asked Hiccup. She shook her head. He nodded and turned once more to face the Drekians. He cleared his throat." The trouble we anticipated seems to be coming a lot faster than we expected...We can't afford to spend too much time deciding her fate, we have a lot to prepare, and not a lot of time to do it."

The crowd muttered in agreement.

" Does anyone propose a sentence ?"

A woman rose. " Aye, I do. I say we execute her honourably, and return her body to the sea to rest with the gods you Vikings believe in. We'll be rid of her and the trouble she causes us." Many muttered some sounds of support for that option. The teenage girl on the other hand, paled and swallowed loudly.

" We can't do that !" Protested Marcus, standing from his chair. " We've already agreed on how valuable she is. Her father probably declared her dead, no man should admit he was bad enough that his own daughter would flee him...But he will be willing to get her back once we prove to him she's still alive."

" I agree ! " Added another. " Plus, she's a bloody walking encyclopedia about our neighbours, and she no longer supports them...If I'm not mistaken, she'll be willing to share her knowledge with us." He turned to the blonde girl " Will you ?"

She nodded eagerly.

" Alright." Said Hiccup. " All in favour to execute her, raise a member and say 'aye'"

Three hands and tails went up.

" All those in favour of keep her as a prisoner of war ? "

The rest of the hall raised their hands and tails, including Aerika.

" It's decided then. But um...We don't exactly have a prison...We need someone to keep an eye on her, at all times... Anyone ? "

The room remained silent. People shook their heads, and looked down, others breathed words along the lines of 'Too much trouble' or 'ain't gonna babysit her'. Toothless walked up besides Hiccup and raised his tail, with a blank expression on his face.

" Wha-...Toothless ? "

The night fury nodded.

" I... uh...Fine ! Fine ! But she's _your_ responsibility ! _Not_ mine..." He pointed a finger in the dragon's face, to which he responded by snorting and rolling his eyes. A few smiles and chuckles emanated from the Drekians.

" Right ! Now that that's settled..." Continued Hiccup. " We should discuss preparations for the incoming... _conflicts_...I have a design for a war machine, and I've already figured out a place to put it that grants us a good range and field of fire, we also have to fortify the beach...Oh and we'll need to set up patrols..."

Needless to say, the meeting lasted all night.


	34. Chapter 34

**There is a reference to Shakespeare in this one *Sips tea and readjusts his monocle* along with one to the TV show 'Vikings'. I hope you enjoy ! Tell me about it by leaving a review.**

* * *

Hiccup shook his head in disagreement ."Uh-Uh ! You signed up for this ! You serve her yourself !"

Toothless grunted with exaggeration, and left the dinning table to get the metal frying pan which currently resided on the forge's hearth. He padded into the main room of the house, and somehow managed to pour it's contents onto Aerika's wooden plate. But to be honest, only half of the peas made onto the plate, the rest seemed to be sacrificed to the table beneath it.

The girl wrinkled her nose to the sight and smell of her overcooked meal.

" He never was much of a cook..." Admitted Hiccup with a smile, before taking another bite of the succulent lamb chop he and Einarr were enjoying. Toothless grunted a protest, along with something else unintelligible to the teen girl.

" What did he say ?" She questioned.

" He says you don't have to eat it, he can see it isn't really edible... Here, you can have that." He gave her half of his lamb. Toothless sat down besides Einarr, and wolfed down a fish set before him on a larger, flatter, wooden plate.

" I better not have to give half my meals to Aerika every-time we sit down at this table."

" **Well, maybe if you cooked for her...** " Rumbled Toothless between two halves of a fish.

" I'm not gonna cook for her ! I cook for the family, not for prisoners of war. She's _your_ responsibility...You're the one who signed up for this !"

Toothless groaned.

" Um...You do know I can cook for myself...Right ? " Stated Aerika, somewhat unimpressed by the pathetic scene unfolding before her.

Toothless' ears perked up " **Yes !** " He nodded enthusiastically.

" Fine. Just don't stab us in the back with a kitchen knife." Scoffed Hiccup sarcastically without looking up from his plate.

The girl deadpanned. " You're making me sleep in the forge in case ya' hadn't noticed... With all the weapons ! "

" Well, I figured you wouldn't be stupid enough to kill us and think you'd get away with it."

She frowned. " No. I'm not."

" Oh ! Well that's good to know.."

" Is he always like this ? " She said, turning to Einarr. The boy didn't bother to stop chewing he merely gave a slight grin and nodded. A moment passed, and all chewed in silence. Einarr turned to Hiccup " Hiccup ? "

" Yeah ? "

" I think I'm gonna go to the assembly tonight."

" And eat in the hall ? " Asked Hiccup, somewhat surprised.

The boy nodded.

" Great ! You can sit between me and Qwynel."

" Sounds good."

" Did I miss something, why is it so special ? " Asked Aerika, puzzled. Both boys looked up from their food to stare at her. " I mean, everybody seems to show up to your 'assembly', why not you ? "

Einarr returned his attention to his food, and frowned sulkily. " I don't like big crowds...Or people..." He muttered

" Why not ? "

The boy didn't answer.

Hiccup cleared his throat. "Uh...It's a bit of a long story..."

" I see."

* * *

WarBear's thick voice sounded across the village plaza. "Hiccup ! "

The boy interrupted his conversation with one of the builders responsible for the construction of the trebuchet and turned to see the large man's frame walking towards him at a hastened pace. " What's wrong ? "

" A ship, spotted five minutes ago. Small, fast, and flies Dànor's colours..."

" A scout ? "

" Probably."

" Right, call Marsaili, Marcus, Guardemont, and Mortan. Tell them to meet me here in two minutes, and to be ready to fly. Then get ten of our best, and man the beach. We can't afford to have them land and get a glimpse of what they're facing."

" Aye. Good luck !"

Hiccup gave a nod, and jogged off towards his house.

* * *

They flew in arrow formation, as fast as the wind would carry them. They skimmed just beneath the clouds, high enough to let them see at a distance.

" What's the plan ? " Yelled Marcus over the wind.

" I don't know..." Answered Hiccup. "Just get them to turn around I guess..."

" And if that doesn't work ? "

The young leader hesitated for an instant. " Then I guess we make use of all those days of training ! "

" There ! " Yelled Marsaili, pointing down at a red sail amongst the blue sea.

The formation dived down towards the ship. When they reached the Viking embarcation, they circled it once before landing. It was a typical Viking ship, maned by only six men and women, as any scout ship deserves. The drekians all landed at the front of the ship, causing it to rock in the water.

" What in the blazes ?! " Exclaimed one of the bearded Vikings, maintaining his horned helmet on his head. The rest of the men and women remained as silent and pale as oysters, terrified by the sight of men riding dragons.

The Drekians dismounted, but kept their helmets on. Hiccup left his crossbow strapped to his back, and walked slowly forward with Marcus by his side. Toothless made an effort not to growl as his brother stepped over a rowing bench towards the hulking Viking, the one seemingly in charge.

" We come in peace." Started the boy through his helmet. He cringed at his own sentence, hardly original. " But I must inform you that you're trespassing into Drekian waters, we must ask you to turn aroun-..." The young leader never got to finish his sentence, for the man he was addressing finally seemed to snap out of his dazed stupor and grabbed the shield by his side along with his battle-axe.

" To arms ! " He yelled. The other Vikings behind him let out a war-cry, and armed themselves, pouncing forward over the benches . The Drekians drew their swords and spears, the nadders let loose a hail of darts, Toothless pounced forward.

Hiccup drew and deployed his crossbow, just in time to fire upon a fierce-woman leaping towards him. The bolt he fired punched through her chain-mail shirt and she collapsed over a bench with a yelp. Marcus, had taken on the man Hiccup was addressing not five seconds ago in single combat. His sword twirled and slashed the man here and there, but the Viking's shield-bash knocked him on his back. The bearded hulk lifted his axe above his head, and brought it down just as the boy tried to roll away. Marcus' blood stained the wooden deck.

Marsaili stabbed the Viking through the back of the head with a spear, turned around swiftly to impale another trying to come up behind her, then knelt by the Roman boy. " Hiccup ! "

The auburn-haired teen fired a bolt, and turned his head to see the woman kneeling by his friend.

" He's hurt ! "

Hiccup joined her as the last of the crew was defeated. " Fuck ! Look at his eye ! "

" We need to get him to Qwynel."

The Roman's own winged brother squawked with anger, and worry, nuzzled him, and immediately grabbed his legs and flew off as fast as his wings would allow. Hiccup, and Marsaili stood. He brushed a small tear off his cheek, gave one last glimpse at the blood stain at his feet, and walked over to a dying Viking.

The man's chest was riddled with nadder spikes, the chain-mail had done a poor job protecting him. He was lying on the ground, one arm resting against a rowing bench, the other twitching every now and again. Blood seeped from his mouth and nose to stain his red beard below. Hiccup was reminded of his father, but seeing the man like that only summoned pity. He knelt by him, took off his helmet, set it besides him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

" Why ? " He asked.

" Because we had to."

" No, you didn't..."

He coughed, spluttering his blood on Hiccup's expressionless face. " You're right, we didn't have to. But we thought it was the right thing..."

" And was it ? "

The man chuckled painfully, and coughed again. " There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking it makes it so. As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport..."

Hiccup nodded slowly and solemnly. Around him, the drekians stood in silence, bloodied swords hanging limply from their equally bloodied arms. The man coughed again and died with a gurgle, he fell limp. Hiccup picked up his helmet and stood.

" Burn the ship with the bodies. If you want to give a prayer, give it."

He moved towards Toothless and leaped on the saddle. He fit his helmet on his head and the pair shot up into the air, causing the boat to rock.

* * *

Hiccup opened the door to Qwynel's abode, making an effort not to bite his lip. His shaky hand let go of the door handle as he stepped inside, gently nudged by Toothless who followed closely behind. He made his way through the silent room to one of the numerous crude hospital beds lining the walls. His prosthetic leg clicked against the wood, and it only took him three steps to wake up the bed's occupant. Marcus made an effort to sit up and smiled weakly.

" Hey."

Hiccup sat down on the bed besides his, facing his friend. Toothless, sat himself down on the floor in a cat-like manner at the foot of the bed. His tongue hung limply out of his mouth, he was happy to see his friend was conscious and not howling in pain.

Hiccup couldn't help but stare in disbelief at Marcus' face.

" Pretty bad isn't it ? " Mumbled the wounded commander.

Hiccup found it hard to draw breath. " I..."

" It's not your fault. Huh ? I want that to be clear."

" But..."

He forced a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. " I just shouldn't' have tripped."

A broad white bandage spanned across the teen's face, covering the entire left part of his face, including his eye. A patch of red had formed slowly over time, the bandage will need replacing soon.

" On the bright side...I get to wear an eye-patch ? Huh ? "

Hiccup answered with half-hearted laugh." For the ladies ? "

" Sh-Yeah..."

" What about Lucia ? And Sep ? "

" Huh...They've been on my ass since the beginning. Lucia thinks I'm dying, and Sep's just happy I'm alive."

Hiccup hesitated, played with his nails as he spoke." And you ? "

" I don't know. I sure am happy I'm still breathing... And I'd rather lose an eye than a hand."

" Will you come to the assembly tonight ? "

" Of course I will ! " He exclaimed feebly. " You'll manage to sink the whole Jupiter-damned island without me. "

" You sure ? " Asked Hiccup, he wanted him to come.

" 'Course I'm bloody sure. I may have lost an eye, but I'm not done yet ! "

" I'm glad to hear it."

* * *

Toothless flared his wings to calm the assembly of Drekians. The din died down gradually. Hiccup gave a quick glance to Einarr who sat at the table amongst all the other men and women of the island. He was obviously disturbed by the recent noise, but seemed to be doing his best at being brave. The teen knew how much effort this little boy was putting into trying to remain calm, he shot him a reassuring look, and addressed the candle-lit hall :

" Too conclude tonight's assembly, we're going to take a look at a letter we received earlier this afternoon by means of pigeon."

The crowd gave an intrigued mumble and listened on eagerly.

" The pigeon was caught by Lothbrok, and carried this scroll..." He held up the scroll with one hand. "... in this cylinder." He held up the leather cylinder with the other. " The cylinder is engraved with Dànor sigil...A bat."

A few eyes from those seated at the table glanced at Aerika. Who sat peacefully (Though a little nervously)on her wooden chair on the right of the stage, away from the oval banqueting table.

" The scroll is obviously addressed to us... I mean, the letter starts with ' _To the barbaric heathens who plague our skies and seas._ ' "

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

" **What does the message say ?** " Urged a monstrous nightmare.

" I was just getting to that..." Mumbled Hiccup. " The message reads :

 _Axes are silver,_

 _But I like mine red..._

 _Drenched in blood,_

 _And lodged in your head !_

Signed, Chief Kruk of Dànor."

The hall was soon buzzing with discussing and concerned mumbles.

" Looks like your father has a taste for poetry." Remarked Hiccup, turning to Aerika. This, quickly recaptured the hall's attention.

" He's not my father ! " Spat the girl in response.

" Fine." Granted Hiccup. He faced the oval once more. " If Kruk wants to play the game of words...Let's play ! I suggest we feed him our own little poem ! " Ranted the teen mockingly.

The crowd cheered ! Toothless stomped. The cheering died down.

" You know what I think ? I think we're going to win this game. Because we have amongst us the best poet the world has ever seen !"

The crowd cheered again, knowing exactly what he meant.

* * *

Nightfall. Kruk walked up the stone steps that led up the small hill to his home. His shoulders tense, his neck stiff. Each step was decisive. He was about to kick open the front door, as the usual Viking manner of entering a room dictated, but he paused.

There, on his very own polished door. Was a note pinned against the wood by a nadder spike.

The man ripped the paper from the door with his meaty hands and unfolded it.

 _To those with big heads but thick skulls :_

 _A fiery furnace, always burning._

 _As loud as thunder, quick as lighting._

 _As much as you'd like to, you can't quench the fires,_

 _About to purge your all your foolish desires._

 _And when our claws, each as sharp as a knife,_

 _Will meet your neck, you can beg for your life._

 _But nothing can stop us, it'll be ours to take._

 _So we recommend,_

 _not to make that foolish mistake._

 _Signed : Every single Drekian._

 _Poem courtesy of Einarr the Wordsmith._


	35. Chapter 35

Hiccup didn't usually sit on a boulder alone, contemplating the ocean tearing itself to shreds on the splintered rocks. Without Toothless, without Einarr, without Marcus, or even without purpose. He wasn't planning anything, he wasn't meditating. He just sat there, somewhat at a loss and shivering, wishing he had come wearing his armour which would have provided better insulation than any fur coat. His hair was damp and full of salt. Every now and again, a wave would crush itself against the rocky coast and splatter the boy's face with it's remains. His auburn hair was ruffled chaotically by the wind, he took no notice.

A girl's voice pierced through the wind. " What's troubling you ? "

Hiccup gasped and turned around, mechanically reaching for the absent crossbow on his back. Though all he was wearing were some brown shoddy flax greaves and a white wool shirt that didn't fully cover his arms. He relaxed when he saw who had spoken. And unarmed Aerika, leaning against a tree with crossed arms ten metres away looking rather amused at the surprise she had inflicted upon the boy.

" Oh...It's you." He mumbled, relaxing his shoulders.

" I'm not gonna shank you or shove you off the cliff into the sea." She said with a note of teasing. " I think we're past this stage of mistrust don't you ? " She left her tree and walked up to sit on the boulder next to him. Hiccup scooted away from her in response, leaving a full metre between them.

" I wonder, what could you gain from beating my head in with a rock ? " Answered the teen, humorously.

She scoffed." A lot of trouble."

"And a very angry night fury." Smiled the boy.

Silence followed, both sat cross-legged for a minute, listening to the suicidal waves crushing themselves against the unmovable stone.

Aerika turned her head to look at him" You didn't answer my question." She stated with a friendly tone.

He teased : " And why would I answer a prisoner of war ? "

" I don't know...But I'm not exactly a prisoner of war am I ? I don't belong to any side, and war hasn't been declared."

Hiccup's features darkened. " Yet..."

" Hm...Is that's what's bothering you ? "

Hiccup sighed, and leaned back against his arms. He still directed his gaze out at sea, refusing to turn to meet hers. " Lots of Drekians are going to die in this war, and even more Vikings."

" Isn't that the point of war ? "

Hiccup chuckled again, and turned his head to face her. " I thought the point of war wasn't to die for your country, but rather have the other bastards die for theirs ? " He said jokingly.

She laughed. " You know, you're not a bad person." He frowned, unsure of what she was trying to accomplish. " I think these people are right to think you're capable...To trust you... You'll make all the right decisions."

" Um, thanks ? " He answered awkwardly.

She chirped ." Your welcome ! Enjoy the view." Then slid off the boulder and walked off into the forest. Hiccup stared over his shoulder into her back as she walked off, somewhat befuddled.

* * *

WarBear, Toothless, and Hiccup stood there, planted like trees upon the grassy hill, comically staring upwards.

" I'm going to have to operate that ? " Stated WarBear incredulously. They kept staring.

" W-Well, not on your own..." Said the auburn-haired teenager.

WarBear, stopped staring at the trebuchet and looked down to Hiccup, somewhat unnerved." Hiccup, I'm sure it's a brilliant siege engine. But I can't command a crew to use this ! I organise ambushes. I always have ! Give me a spear and a few good men, and order me to defend the beach. I'll butcher anyone who comes that way. but I won't be able to kill even a shrimp if you have me command that thing ! "

Hiccup frowned and thought, his stare boring into the ground. WarBear was right. He scratched the back of his head and thought some more. Toothless nudged his hip and gurgled : " **Aerika ?** "

The teen didn't get it. " Wha-What do you mean Aeri-..." And then it hit him. He ran his hands through his hair excitedly " Yes ! Yes ! Can you go get her ? "

Toothless nodded and pounced away down the hill towards the village.

" What do you have in mind ? " Inquired the giant man warily. He knew the boy could have some rather unorthodox solutions to problems.

" This machine can hit anything two kilometres out around the island."

The man crossed his arms." You already told me that. What of it ? "

" For it to have any precision you have to apply this formula." He pointed to the sheet of paper on the table by the grand wooden war machine. " It takes almost everything into account, including wind and speed of the target..."

WarBear was getting impatient with his friend's ramblings. " So ? "

" I designed it to be precise. So, you need someone who can really count to lead the team operating this thing !" He gestured his gangly arms towards the hulking stone-thrower. " There aren't that many people on this island who can."

" You can." Pointed out WarBear.

" I'll be leading half of the air assaults while Marcus commands the rest..."

" And I'll be on the beach. Won't I ? " Insisted WarBear, trying to get his point across.

" Yes Bear'...You'll be on the beach."

The bald man raised an eyebrow." So you think our prisoner should operate our own war machine ? "

The boy started mumbling specifics." Actually...She's not so much of a prisoner, but more of a 'forced gue-.."

" Hiccup ! " Boomed the man with his accent, interrupting the boy's rambling. " Have you gone mad ? You want to give her control of this ? She could turn the weapon against us ! "

Hiccup went serious, and spoke very calmly. A gust of wind ruffled his auburn hair and caused the grass around them to lean to one side. " She came to this island without a home, and without a family. Just like us. I don't know why we wouldn't give her a chance."

" She has family ties to our opponents."

" So do I..."

" It's different for you."

Hiccup pursed his lips in frustration. " No...No it isn't. "

" Why ? "

" Because you can see it. She's angry at anything...Everything ! " He started pacing back and forth with agitation. The ominous siege engine loomed over them in the background, it's arm casting a shadow across the hill. " She feels betrayed. I know that feeling, and I know what it looks like."

" So she'll side with us ?"

" She has nowhere else to go. "

" Fine. But you should know that this is a gamble."

He stopped pacing. " If she wanted to betray and cripple us she could've done it the moment we set her free on our island."

* * *

The sizeable chunk of rock soared gracefully through the clear sky, uninterrupted in it's arc-shaped course over the sea. All in all, the projectile could be approximated to about the size of a chair. It doesn't seem much, but when a heavy object that size impacts a wooden ship with such inertia, there isn't anything to stop it punching a massive hole right through the deck.

The rock flew sideways, it's course slightly altered by the blowing ocean winds. It's trajectory started angling downwards, gravity pulling it back down towards the waters. It's speed increased as it fell, and it landed hard against the water, shattering into a thousand splinters a poorly-constructed wooden raft that was (until recently) pushed around erratically by the waves.

A hundred or so metres above, was a Drekian and his Monstrous Nightmare sister flying in stationary. The man, witnessing the raft's destruction, gently tapped the dragon's neck as a signal. She acquiesced with a grunt and immediately spewed a column of fiery death up above her head.

Meanwhile, on a hill about two kilometres away, stood Hiccup and Aerika, staring off into the distance. A small spark appeared in mid-air, signalling the auburn-haired teen to stop counting.

" Direct hit ! eight seconds ! " He exclaimed.

Both teens turned to each-other with content smiles. Behind them, a crew of five men and women manning the trebuchet (some of which were hanging off the tall construction) cheered, punching the air and clapping. This was their 5th consecutive hit, out of a total of six shots.

Aerika muttered her mental calculations, adding up the times. " eight plus twenty-five is thirty-three, plus two is thirty-five ! " She beamed. " Thirty five seconds between loading the shot and impact ! "

" You were born to do this ! " Agreed Hiccup.

" What scribbling a bunch of calculations and commanding people to fire a big rock at floating planks of wood ? " Giggled the blonde teen.

" Planks of wood two kilometres away on a windy day..." Corrected Hiccup humorously, justifying her success.

" Right..."

Hiccup smirked, and turned around to the crew. " I think we're done for today's tests and training. " The crew acquiesced and climbed down from the various operating spots of the war machine, then proceeded to wander down the hill as a group, chatting amongst each-other and laughing. As the laughs grew distant, the two teens stood side by side in silence admiring the view.

The hill overlooked a great part of the island. While part the south was shielded from sight by the island's solitary peak, this vantage point still offered the rest of the horizon, along with a beautiful panorama of the small town sprawling below.

The blue and brown rooftops were densely populated by dragons, old and young, either playing or lazing around and enjoying the afternoon sun. A few humans too, decided that smoking their pipes amongst the reptiles was worth the climb onto the wooden or tiled roofs. Some dragons flew above the town, some hauling bags of fish or timber, others flying with a human. The younger, more mischievous ones raced between the houses, and had loop-de-loop contests until they made themselves sick.

Columns of light-grey smoke rose quietly from the chimneys, gradually dissolving into the sky. Wooden shutters were opened and closed by residents, adding to the bustling sound of an active town.

A town preparing for war.

Hiccup cleared his throat. " I uh...I made you something." He reached inside his wool jacket, and pulled out a copper spyglass. He held it towards the teen with both hands. She brushed aside her stray blonde braid, which immediately returned to hang before her eye.

" What is it ? " She inquired.

Hiccup was visibly reddening. He mentally cursed himself. Of course he was able to address hundreds of expectant people as a leader, but couldn't offer a simple damn present to a girl his age ! " I um...I call it a spyglass."

" What does it do ? " She inquired again. Amused at the boy's embarrassment.

" It er... It enables you to see further." He extended the shinning copper spyglass, and brought it up to his eye as a demonstration. " Much...Further." He handed it to Aerika, who took it delicately, and unsure. She brought it up to her eye just like Hiccup a moment ago. She didn't quite believe him until she eyed through the contraption. She gasped.

" Wha- How ? " She questioned, excited.

Hiccup scratched the back of his head, face still flushed. " Well um, there's a multitude of glass lenses in it and uh-..."

" It's incredible ! " She interrupted him, admiring the town below them through the device.

" Yeah...It is kind of cool. I figured you'd find it handy for, ya' know-..."

" Shooting big rocks at wooden planks ? " She chuckled, turning to him.

He chuckled, more nervously." Yeah...That ! "

" Thank you Hiccup." She spoke, more calmly, but nevertheless smiling. Like she was planning something.

The poor boy started melting under her stare. " W-Well you're welcome...I mean I uh...Y'know I just thought you might-..." Without warning, the blonde teen leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Hiccup stood there in shock, completely flabbergasted as Aerika walked away smiling, clutching the telescope.

Hiccup's eyes were wide open, though not functional. He remained planted there, tense and red, not quite sure what to do next, and utterly terrified.


	36. Chapter 36

**[PLEASE READ]**

 **I'm sorry. Is all I have to say. Actually, that's not quite true. What I mean to say is I'm sorry I just disappeared, and that this story has an uncertain fate. I'd like to finish it, I really do. But a lethal mix of writer's block and homework has murdered my will to write. I've reached the part of my education that now requires an insane amount of time, and effort. Hence, I cannot write all the time. THIS DOESN'T MEAN THIS STORY IS OVER. I'm going to continue, but I don't know for how long, or how regularly. I'd like you all to acknowledge that every new chapter that is posted from now on could very well be the last one. And that I can't guarantee a regular schedule. I'm the writer, I choose when I post a chapter.**

 **Thank you though, for being so patient and understanding. AND YES, I KNOW DREKI'S TREBUCHET ISN'T REALISTIC, BUT THEN AGAIN, NOR ARE DRAGONS.**

 **Please enjoy this chapter, even if it's a little rusty and rough around the edges.**

 **Rant Over.**

* * *

" A trireme ?! You're sure ? " Exclaimed Hiccup with disbelief.

The Nightmare/Breton scout pair both simultaneously nodded, each as serious as a dead man. Then again, that's exactly what they might be by the end of the afternoon if they didn't deal with the situation accordingly. Hiccup thanked and dismissed the scouts, then stood motionless in front of the great hall, staring at the ground. The towns buzzed around him, oblivious as to what could happen in an hour or so. The leader thought long and hard, trying to squeeze out and idea or two from his creased brow. How did things get this complicated ?

He took a deep breath and wiped the slate of his mind clean. He needed to organise his thoughts, and get his hands to stop shaking. He stared harder at the cobblestone floor, as if he were able to melt the stone with his stare.

The ship itself wasn't the issue. They could blast it out of the water with their new siege engine or burn it to a crisp before it even reached the shore. And even if it did, Marcus' flexible line defence strategy would cut to pieces even the most experienced warriors. No, the issue was more complex. It was political. Things aren't so clear cut : The ship isn't necessarily hostile. Granted, it's a military ship, but it could well be an exploration vessel or transport for a diplomatic envoy. Sending a powerful nation's diplomat to the bottom of the ocean before introducing oneself isn't a good way of making allies. And Thor knows they don't have many of those these days.

On the other hand, the ship could very well be reconnaissance. To test their military response to a threat. Then, a larger incoming invasion force would know exactly what to expect, and how to counter their moves. Hiccup knew very well, that their only chance to survive any invasion, be it Viking or other, would be through the originality and never-before-seen nature of their strategies. Revealing them would be burning their ace before the game even started.

But what puzzled the young leader most of all, was the very nature of the ship : A trireme. These ships were rare in these waters. Any ships from the Mediterranean hardly ever navigated so far north, for lack of motive. As a consequence, most northerners of the Archipelago ignored the very existence of such civilisations. In fact the only reason Hiccup knew about these, was through the multiple readings of his home island's limited book and scroll collections back when he-...

He shunned the thought away. Sweeping the parasite from his train of thought. ' Focus Hiccup !'

Back to the point : The scouts failed to perceive the colour of the ship's sails, the craft could very well be Egyptian, Roman, Greek, or anything else ! And if one doesn't know the nature of the intruder, one cannot predict his intentions. Romans would most likely be crafty and hostile, due their constant incursion attempts in the archipelago over recent decades. They would most likely try again. But Greeks, or Egyptians, that was a whole other matter. Hiccup hardly knew anything about them, other that the Greek's early innovation with the concepts of democracy(similar to theirs), as well as their economic dependency on the concept of slavery...Funny, they had both aligned, yet differing ideologies.

The boy felt a hand on his shoulder.

" You alright Hiccup ? " Asked his Roman friend, who had just heard the news.

Hiccup turned his head to look at Marcus in the eye with a decisive frown. " Wha- ? Yeah... I'm fine. Muster the men. "

The Roman was expecting that. " Are we mounting a defence ? Will we be fighting ?"

Hiccup shook his head and gazed in the distance thoughtfully.

" Not sure..."

* * *

This was going to be tricky. Very. Very. Tricky.

Hiccup stood on Dreki's only beach, trying to contain his apprehension. The ship drew closer and closer. Long and heavy, it's mighty battalion of rows smacking the water rhythmically as if the ocean were a formidable drum. The front of the ship, armed with the iron-coated ram, pointed menacingly at the small detachment that stood by the teenager. Cuts and scraping marks streaked the iron, proving the ship's past battles, as well as it's history of stabbing other ships, imploding the hull with all it's speed and might. Toothless rolled his eyes and grunted, unimpressed. Their ship was taller and faster.

The boy turned around, and gave a nod to WarBear. The giant man clapped twice in his large hands and waved a pointed finger to the sky nonchalantly. All men, women, and dragons responded to the signal, and moved with tense silence and discipline to their allocated positions, forming dual row alternating human and dragon soldiers on either side of Hiccup. The dragons tucked their tails to the side, and tidied their wings. The humans planted the end of their spears into the sand by their foot, and held their secondary weapon, the gladius, in their other hand. Twenty spears pointed to the sky, and twenty swords pointed to the ground.

Hiccup gulped and ignored his pounding heart. This was a gamble. The military parade welcome party was tradition for most cultures, and couldn't be a bad idea. And saying Dreki didn't wasn't somewhat based on military tradition would be a lie. This welcome would help make that clear for the strangers.

Furthermore, the rest of Dreki's force was lying in ambush by the path that led to the village, in case things went southward. And an air-support wing was circling above them, hidden by the low clouds, ready to dive down and spit fire and spikes should things turn sour. No, what concerned Hiccup was the fact that the dragons too, were part of the parade. They stood proud, tall and terrifying, adorned in their thick leather battle-armour and defended by scerated claws as well as menacing spikes ( "the shinning dragon menaces with spikes of bone" not sure how many will get the reference, just ignore this if you don't ). No one would be sure of how these unidentified strangers will react. Who knows ? Maybe they will make use of that ambush plan after all. And Hiccup was more than glad that Marcus was leading it.

The ship had stopped. And three rather large embarkations had been deployed to shore. The rowers, were Roman soldiers. Decorated with red and iron. At the tail of each bobbing craft, was an officer with a helmet decorated with what seemed like a red brush angled towards the sky. In the centre boat, was an important looking man. In golden armour, without a fancy red-brush-helmet, his short grey hair exposed to the limited northern sunlight. The ambush plan was now looking dangerously appealing to the boy, as well as the rest of the Drekians exposed on the beach.

The ships made it to shore. And withing seconds, the soldiers had disembarked in a storm of metal sounds and formed two squares around the man and his officers. The rectangular red shields rested in the sand, and the soldiers peered over them nervously. The dragons always made an impression. But they kept their composure, their discipline was intact. After all, they were a roman elite guard.

WarBear rose his spear above his head, it's length parallel to the ground. The Drekians raised their spears over the path formed by the two rows of soldier, forming an arc-like structure. The dragons raised their spine-spikes, adding to the aura of lethality they emitted. Hiccup stood immobile, and raised his chin. He tried his best to give an impression of that of a leader. Though, with his young age, and median height, his posture was actually underwhelming in comparison with the surrounding Drekian parade. At least his armour radiated some exotic impression of mystery and importance. And toothless sat cat-like beside him, ears drawn back, looking as lethal as he did glorious.

The man in golden armour paused, soaking in the scene. One hand resting on his gladius, though not menacingly, more as a gesture of etiquette as military man. He was reasonably tall, and well worn. He wasn't decrepidly old, but he had definitely seen the world. He was slender, skeleton-like, and he held his elegantly hooked nose neither too high nor too low above his curious smile. A smile neither too happy, nor mocking. And all that accompanied by a solemn, yet amused look of curiosity.

He started taking steps forward, his sandals somewhat sinking in the wet sand. The dual squares of soldiers stayed put, though his officers followed suit, forming a triangle of three behind their leader. They glared around standoffishly at the Drekians, who merely maintained their gaze into emptiness, holding their spear high above them. The four men made their way to Hiccup and the captain, who stood a little behind the teenager, sword drawn.

The man made his final step and stopped, staring at Hiccup. The boy stared right back, though softened his gaze as the Roman loosened his. There was no hostility in his expression. But rather a chilling sense of past loss, of internal wounds that still ache. This man had seen quite a bit, and not simply a war or two like the pink scar on his right cheek testified. Hiccup could see it in his eyes. That look. The very look he saw every day, every year, of his life when he still lived on... It was the look of a man who had lost something. Who's heart had been broken. It was the look Hiccup remembered his father wearing every day.

He cleared his throat, and talked softly, humbly. He held a formal tone, even if his voice seemed to hold an ulterior meaning. He spoke with a light chuckle, making fun of his own words. He'd said them a thousand times before. To him, it was all ridiculous.

" I am Lord Admiral Novius Ordanae, commander of the 4th Colonial Auxiliary Fleet, and chairman of the council of Eboracum. Are you the leader of this island ?"

Hiccup smiled. The idea of ambushing this man vanished entirely, he obviously didn't want to be here. " I am. " Confirmed Hiccup. " I am Hiccup, Representative of the people of Dreki, and leader of the 2nd Mounted Air Wing."

" Very impressive." Scoffed the older man. " And pray tell, where is your glorious island's first air wing ? Not hovering above us, I hope ?"

Hiccup panicked. If only for a second. Brains couldn't beat experience, not for diplomacy. He was going to have to employ another technique : Honesty. " That all depends on whether or not your soldiers behind you accept to drink with us today. It's nearly high noon, and we eat early around here."

" I see. " The Roman blinked slowly, and scratched his scarred cheek. " My informants were right...You do live with dragons. Quite impressive ! And you're very young for a leader-...Sorry ! I meant ' Representative...' "

" Do you imply that I'm not worthy ? "

The Roman gave a hearty laugh. " No ! No ! Not at all...Not at all...I'm saying it's all very impressive, and uncommon. "

There was a short silence. Hiccup gave a suspicious look at the careless man, who had dropped all decorum and stood visibly amused, barely hiding it. " And what else have your informants told you about us ? " Inquired the boy, pretending curious.

The man's smile dropped. " They told me I would die if I fought you. "

Hiccup winced playfully. " I was hoping we could avoid those sort of unpleasant activities."

" As was I. I have a quite few things left to do before I die."

" Does that involve sharing lunch with us ? " Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

" Amongst other things. " Chuckled the Roman.

Hiccup smiled. Inviting them to dinner was a first step. But he had yet to figure out why this Roman was really here. He turned to Toothless and gave a friendly nudge of the shoulder. The dragon rolled his eyes and leaped up into the air, a few seconds later, he landed down onto the beach a few metres to the left of the Drekian formation with the entire 1rst Mounted Air Wing.

" Impressive." Admitted the Roman. Genuinely impressive, though not speechlessly befuddled like his officers.

" So..." Proceeded Hiccup. " What brings you to Dreki, Mr. Ordanae ? "

" The past, Mr... ? "

" Just Hiccup."

" The past, Hiccup. The past."

" And why does your past lead you to Dreki, Lord Admiral ? "

The man gave a sly smile, curved in a corner. His hand left the pommel of his sheathed gladius too embrace his other and warm both of them in the cold northern air. His strands of grey hair blew in the wind like short, dense, reeds. And he gave a nervous lick of his dry lips, chapped by the cold. His words, while spoken with perfect fluidity and nonchalance, seemed to weigh heavy on his tongue. Even though they were perfectly incorporated into the fluidity and rhythm of the conversation, they seemed to stand apart. As if they were separated by an extensive moat of silence and grave meaning.

" Because my children have."


	37. Chapter 37

**Lots of dialogue in this one, but it's all for a good reason. Enjoy !**

 **Rant Over**

* * *

The titanic red-bearded chief boomed the last name on the list, his voice thundering through the hall with shattering morbidity.

" And finally, Astrid Hofferson. Assigned as Junior Assistant Commander of the first assault wave. "

The girl's face remained as inexpressive as an iron mask. But she was glad, even if she already knew she would get the assignment. Murmurs of agreement rung around her as the crowd's expectations were met.

" Get a good night's rest everybody, we sail for Dànor at dawn... "

* * *

Marcus didn't know what to expect.

He stood before the door of his very own house, hesitating as if it were a stranger's. Despite Hiccup's best efforts to introduce the situation to him in a manner that would cause as little damage as possible, his mind was still rocked. He was told that Lucia and his brother had already met them, these strangers called 'Mother' and 'Father'. His brow lost it's crease, he forcefully relaxed his shoulders.

Summon. Your. Courage.

He finally let go of the breath, and set his hand on the cold iron handle.

* * *

Hiccup sat astride Toothless, in armour. The rest of the air wing landed in the grassy field behind him. The large green field had been permanently left unsowed as a means for large-scale landings. Indeed, landings and take-offs with a single rider and dragon were rather easy to perform from the city centre itself, making use of the diverse ledges and hooks set upon the sturdy red and blue rooftops. But when it came to large formations, with maybe ten-to-twenty pairs, a large surface of flat land was needed.

The boy shed the helmet from his face with his left arm, the other patting Toothless's neck, a habit Aerika had always found adorable. Well, maybe not when she first met them.

The girl jogged over to the teenager and his night fury, hair waving like a patriotic flag in the wind. She stepped to a halt as the boy dismounted, looking down at the straps of his harness to loosen them. The grass bowed in waves with the wind around them.

" Hey " She greeted.

The boy's chin shot up. When he realised he was staring, his cheeks blushed and he cracked a stupid grin. " Oh ! Um...Yeah. Hi ! " He managed, scratching the back of his neck embarrassingly. Toothless thought he'd vomit right here and there. But instead he grunted, and trod off in direction of a less sickening crowd of dragons who were currently debating the use of a tail in sharp turns wile carrying heavy equipment.

" So, how did the drill go ? " Piped the teenage girl.

" I um...Yeah, well. It went well."

" Cool " She grinned. " So, I just finished the reconfiguration of the ammo stacks for the trebuchet..."

" Oh ! Right ! And ? " Inquired Hiccup, struggling with the straps of his harness, though trying not to let it be too obvious.

" Well, I decided it would be more efficient to make three stacks of ten projectiles instead of two stacks of fifteen, and I had them moved closer to the loading ramp and it really improved the loading time."

" Good, good. That's good..." Mumbled hiccup, frowning and tugging at the harness.

" Do you need some help with that ? "

" No, no... It's fine it's just a little jammed. I just need to twist the-..."

" -Here, lemme help."

Before the boy could protest, Aerika stepped closer and gently pulled at the buckle. She nimbly slipped her finger in-between the two pieces of Drekian iron and lifted. The leather strap came undone and now hung limply from Hiccup's belt. Aerika looked up and grinned. Her face dauntingly close. Hiccup blushed, again ( I know ! ), and stared. Grinning like and idiot.

Aerika broke the moment, slightly amused. " So, should we Uh...Grab lunch at the hall, or something ? "

Hiccup snapped out of his gobsmacked dase. " Yes ! Yes, definitely..." They started making for the hall, when not two steps later Hiccup paused. " Actually no ! " He brought a hand to his forehead, as if suddenly remembering something. " I have to talk to our visitor, it's very...Important and..."

" It's about the war isn't it ? " Assumed the girl, suddenly more serious now.

Hiccup pursed his lips and nodded.

" You go then." She smiled, brushing her braid from before her eye. " I'll see you tonight then ? "

" Of course you will." Deadpanned the boy. " You're sleeping in my forge. Remember ? "

" Right." She nodded, glaring at her shoes as if it were their fault, and feeling like a complete idiot.

" See you then. "

" Yeah "

The boy walked off towards the beach, where the small Roman encampment was set. Aerika watched him distance himself.

* * *

The boy was led into the large circular tent that towered above all others from the centre of the camp. It was a stripy red and white, with some sort of ornate golden cone at the top, which was in fact the central pillar that ran down it's middle to hold it up. Inside, Hiccup found a large double bed adorned with furs ( The admiral had obviously brought his wife in the quest to find their children, how could he not ? ), a small cupboard decorated with a silver fruit dish and a crystal decanter.

The Admiral turned around as Hiccup entered, smiling grimly as a greeting.

" So, how did it go ? " Inquired the boy uneasily.

" Well..." Sighed the old man. " My daughter is married, my youngest has befriended a dragon, and my eldest is a one-eyed top military official."

Hiccup somehow felt guilty. In a way, the state of all on the island could sourced back to his actions. The man was disappointed. His prosthetic scratched at the carpet beneath him nervously.

" But it could have been worse I suppose." Continued the Roman. " They could have never found this place, and died at sea or stabbed by criminals. I guess I should thank you, they say you gave them an opportunity."

Hiccup nodded humbly. One of the major differences between the old Hiccup, and the new Hiccup, was that he now knew when to humbly accept a compliment, rather than immediately deny it with clumsy and embarrassed stuttering.

The Roman's tone shifted to that of an interrogation. " Tell me, what is their standing on the island ? "

Hiccup, was not deterred by the tone. It was impressive, but he made it a point not to be intimidated. " Well, wealth isn't a major indicator on Dreki. But they are one of the most wealthy family of the community."

" Why is that ? " Pushed the Roman, turning his back to the boy as he served two glasses of wine from the crystal decanter.

" For one, Marcus is one of the three most important military leaders of the state, along with WarBear and myself, leading a third of our army. Secondly, Lucia is the only woodcrafter artisan here, she holds a monopoly on wooden furniture..."

" So, soldiers and furniture ? " Smiled the old man.

" Exactly."

" Are they respected ? "

" What do you think ? " Returned the boy, a little acidly.

" They're one of the first founders ? "

" Along with our Healer, Qwynel and I..."

" ...And the oldest man in the family leads a third of the army. I imagine they must be quite respected." He chuckled.

" They're happy." Assured Hiccup. He knew his own father would never ensure that he was happy, he'd never do that for him. And Hiccup would rather be smote by Thor than have his father come looking for him. Then again, he didn't have a father anymore...Didn't he ?

" I know they are. " Said the man calmly as he stepped over to the boy with a glass of excellent wine in each hand. He pushed one towards Hiccup.

Hiccup politely declined." No thank you."

The man raised a mocking grey eyebrow. " Liver not strong enough ? Too young ? "

" No." Chuckled the Drekian. " I am simply not in the business of denying myself simple truths, and one of these is that I don't like the taste of wine." Time to raise his own eyebrow.

" I see." Mumbled the Roman, and kept the glass for himself.

Hiccup steered the conversation back on track : " So, what do you plan on doing ? "

" Well, I can't take them home, that much is sure. Two of them hate me and the other doesn't recognise me, my wife wants us to force them to come back. Though I doubt you'd appreciate us robbing you of your island's only furniture crafter and one of your three commanders."

" You assume right." Smiled Hiccup.

" So I've decided to go with the next best thing : Ensure myself of their happiness and safety, make sure they're not on the path to decadence...I've talked to Lucia's husband by the way."

" Or did you interrogate him ? " Mumbled the teenager. "He's a good man." He was a good man.

" I know, he has as much ambition as my daughter. She seems happy, he does too. Though I suspect he only gets a quarter of the bed at night, there's too much of her mother in her."

They both laughed lightly. A small silence followed.

" Listen..." Started Hiccup, carefully choosing his words. " I'm glad you and your wife are content with your children's situation. But you might have heard, that we are on the verge of-..."

" ...-Of a war against the entire archipelago, I know. I thought you'd come to us..." He took a sip of wine "You need allies."

Hiccup nodded, hands solemnly crossed behind his back, chin held high, though not too high .

" I've thought about it. And I would, if only for my children."

Hiccup's heart sank at 'would', his shoulders slumped down as far as he'd let them.

" But I'm sorry. This isn't my army, nor is it my war. I don't have the power to involve the Empire into this. If anything, my superiors would appreciate the Vikings butchering themselves, we've been waiting decades for an opportunity to restart our advances into the archipelago."

Hiccup stared at his shoes." I see."

" But I don't regret this decision. Because I know it's a fair fight."

The boy raised his head to look the man in the eye. " What do you mean ? "

" I mean you're a smart kid. And a decent leader. The rest of you are smart too. You're also strong people, and over half of your current population are fire-breathing dragons for Jupiter's sake ! You have the strategic and technological advantage. I don't know what you have on that hill over there, but I know it isn't there to offer the enemy tea and biscuits..."

" But what we fear are the enemies numbers."

" And I'm sure you have a plan to cut them up with maximum efficiency for every monthly battle this war will bring ! We both know how bad Vikings are at adapting their strategies."

Hiccup nodded. He was right.

" We leave at dawn." Informed the Roman. " If you win, make sure you write it down. And make sure my children's names are in there." The man chuckled.

Before the two could give official farewells, a Roman guard ( with one of those head-brushes ) penetrated into the tent. " Hiccup Chief of Dreki, a woman by the name of Qwynel has called for you. She's waiting outside the tent."

Hiccup shook his head. " How many times do I have to tell you people ? Dreki isn't a chieftain, hence, I'm not a chief ! "

The soldier stood emotionless, immune to the boy's irritation.

" Thank you anyway." Sighed the boy before turning to the Admiral. " Farewell then, tell your empire not to shoot if they see someone riding a dragon."

The Roman laughed. " No guarantees they'll listen ! "

Hiccup exited the tent.

* * *

Dreki's forests had always held a certain calm to them. Much like the pine forests of other islands of the Archipelago, this one swayed and sighed in the wind. Pine needles dropped to the moist ground, contributing to the soft carpet, sometimes breached by roots. In winter, snow slid down in clumps from the branches who bowed under the weight of the powder, interrupting the sacred silence. In autumn, the silence was replaced by the consistency of the rain. And the rest of the year, the rain was replaced by the wind. The point made, is that regardless of the time of year, Dreki's forest remained serene and peaceful. And somehow above all the pathetic ministrations of dragon and man.

To be truthful, the Drekians found most of their reassurance in their friends, drinks, and the island's imposing mountain. But the mountain would not seem so protective, motherly, and providing if it weren't for it's green fur that spread from it's base to the rest of the island. And many a troubled dragon or human could be provided with a meditative walk amongst the pines thanks to this protective setup. The mighty and imposing mountain, coupled with the lush and serene forest had the Drekians grateful for the lands they settled.

Hiccup found the old woman leaning against a pine's trunk, blowing smoke rings from her pipe. " You called ? " He said with hushed affection.

The woman turned and smiled, as if she had just seen a grandson for the first time in many weeks. " Ah ! My dear Hiccup. There you are ! "

" How are you ? " He smiled, reaching in for an embrace.

They hugged. She smelt of bark and smoke. When they pulled themselves apart, the old woman took his chin between her index and thumb, turning his head from one side to other, inspecting him.

" My my, you've started growing some stubble haven't you ? "

The teenager chuckled " Yeah a little..." Breaking free from her clutch.

" Walk with me." They set off in a random direction through the woods. " How are you my boy ? "

" I'm alright, considering what's about to happen."

" Hm..." She mumbled gravely. " And how are things with Aerika ? " She nodded with a lighter, knowing smile.

" Whaaaaa-...I don't know what you're-...Why would you say tha- WHOA !" The boy tripped over a root, and barely recovered his balance.

Qwynel laughed heartily. " Oh lad, you may be the youngest and most innovative leader this far north, but you need to learn to keep your cool when we so much as mention girls..."

" Yeah, tell me about it." Scowled the boy, brushing a few pine needles from his armoured shoulder.

" You may not realise it, but you've changed. "

" What do you mean ? "

" I didn't follow you into that Roman's tent, but I've got a pretty good idea of what you were saying." She blew a smoke ring. " More importantly, I know _how_ you said it : You're more sure of yourself."

" Maybe..." Acquiesced Hiccup. " So what ? " He didn't see the point of her telling him this.

" I see it when you order the troops. You don't suggest orders like you used to. You impose them, like any leader. You've lost you're stutter." She remarked, gesturing with her long wooden pipe. "Except maybe in front of Aerika." She added mischievously.

The boy grabbed his hair. " I- Urgh. Will you drop that ?! "

" Never." She laughed. " But in all seriousness." She stopped, turned to the boy, who now stood taller than her. She lay a bony finger on his chest plate, prodding it with every syllable she insisted upon. " You've. Changed. For. The. Better. Boy. I don't think you see it...Maybe you should take the time to realise it. Despite the war, and everything else. Don't loose track of who you are."

Hiccup was puzzled. He wasn't speechless, nor shocked. Simply surprised, and had nothing to say.

" Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd best be heading back. My dear husband must've gotten the tea ready by now, he's been such a dear these past few days."

Hiccup's head turned as he watched the old lady walk off contently, blowing smoke rings. A few steps, and she turned around, as if suddenly remembering something. " Oh and Hiccup ? Few people get the chance to have a teenage sweetheart around these parts. We're all married off. Make the most of it. " She winked and resumed her course towards the village. Leaving Hiccup to stand there, drowning in his own thoughts.


	38. Chapter 38

**[PLEASE READ THIS !]**

 **I know it's not necessarily the most interesting thing in the world to read, but I'd like you to read it nevertheless.**

 **I've got GOOD NEWS, and I've got BAD NEWS. So ? Which do you want to hear first ? The bad of course ! So, the bad news is this : I'm on holiday as of this day and must suffer a terrifyingly tremendous but true quantity of homework. Now, for the good news : I'm a terrible student and couldn't care less ( that is until the last day before school ), as a consequence, I shall be delivering before the week's end THAT ONE CHAPTER YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR where sh*t really hits the fan.**

 **( If you're wondering why I'm capitalising so many words it's to catch the attention to all those who merely skim and DON'T READ THE TEXT ABOVE)**

 **Thank you for reading ( assuming you really did...Huh ? )**

 **Rant (finally ?) over**

* * *

" No ! " Bawled Brash the Bold, leader of the Bashem Oiks. The arguments flooding the room died down a bit. " We should go for a nice, compact, fluid flanking motion. Not a dense frontal attack ! We'll get torn to shreds ! "

" Wow ! Yer' really are dense in yer' frontal aren't ye' ? " Muttered Mogaddon the Meathead, chief of the Meatheads. The entire table of chieftains fell silent, and immediately ceased their arguing. The broad man stood from his wooden chair which scraped against the stone floor, and reached over the table to yank the tattered map closer. He planted a thick finger right in front of the island of Dreki, more specifically, in front of Dreki's only beach. " What use is a frontal attack if there's only one landing point ? The rest of the island is surrounded with rocks and cliffs, each as sharp as those dragon's teeth ! " He snarled and pointed a finger toward's the hall's door. The candlelight made the one-eyed man look more impressive than usual, and all the sons that the chiefs had brought along to the war council now cowered silently besides their fathers. Though it was restrained cowering.

The man resumed his menacing citation of tried and tested military strategies : " We should attack them by surprise... At night ! " His voice grew in intensity. " ...and concentrate all our strength into one point, one choke-hold !" Here we heard him loudest " ...and send them back to the slimy pitiful dung-heap from whence they came !" His strategy sharing had turned into a war-cry " NOW ARE YOU WITH ME ?! " He slammed his fist on the poor map, the large round wooden table beneath it shook.

A chorus of manly approval rose " YEAH ! " followed by the voice-cracked grunts of unsure teenagers trying to reassert their masculinity before their fathers and the rest of the war council " Y-yeah ! " Then...There was of course Stoick the Vast, with his slow clap. His heavy hands thumped together, as sarcastic as it was unpopular. He muttered a " Watch this..." to Astrid Hofferson who sat besides him as an apprentice at the war council and stood. Another chair scraping against the ground.

" You forget my friends...That these dragon sympathisers won't fall for a surprise attack. " He lay both hands flat on the wooden table, and looked around, eyes meeting the gaze of all twelve leaders. He gave a pause for effect. " These madmen have the best of both worlds : " He held up two thick fingers " The flight and might of dragons, AND the mind of their masters." He brought the fingers up to his temple, nodding lightly. " Attacking them at night ? Pah ! We would only give them an advantage, they might be sleeping, but they'll wake up soon enough, and when they do, their dragons can see through darkness better than any human eyes can. "

" What's yer' point ? " Snarled Magaddon from across the table.

" My point is, if we attack them during the day, we have the elements to our advantage..."

" Such as ? " Questioned a brown-bearded chief.

" Such as better aim, we'll be able to see in the daylight. Or we could blind them by attacking at dusk, with the sun in our backs-..."

" ...-Just listen to the man ! " Interrupted Mogaddon, laughing. " We should attack in the night, when they're sleeping, like we've always done before. "

An agreeing symphony made itself heard. And then a second weaker mimicking one.

Mogaddon continued. " Our people have battled dragons and rival tribes alike for centuries, and it's always been the same method. Now we should drive them out, tomorrow, before it's too late !"

Another chorus of "Aye !"s followed once again by a chorus of " Um...Yeah...Aye !"s.

" We fight them, and destroy them. Simple. We can't lose. We outnumber them ten-to-one, and have battle-ready warriors just itchin' for a fight ! What are we ? We're Vikings !"

" Yeah ! Vikings ! " Sounded the war council.

" We fight dragons ! It's an occupational hazard !"

" Yeah " Yelled the chieftains.

Stoick waited for the din to die down, and frowned. " Fine." He muttered. " Let's be reckless if ya' want. But let's not forsake honour."

A few members at the table muttered agreements : " Yeah...Honour ! "

" Send them a formal declaration of war. It won't spoil the surprise."

Mogaddon shook his head in mock disbelief. " Ah Stoick...If you weren't such a renowned leader, I'd have taken you for a stubborn idiot."

The read-bearded chief of Berk stood up straight and set his helmet upon his head. " That's what we all are..." He muttered. " Idiots with stubbornness issues...Come on Astrid" And with that he walked towards the door, followed by the faithful Astrid Hofferson.

* * *

" Why did you do that ? " Interrogated Astrid as they walked down the steps of Dànor's hall towards the Berkian camp.

" Do what ? " Answered the Chief. His breath produced a puff of mist in the cold night air.

" Insist on a formal declaration ? "

Stoick stopped mid-stride and turned to look down at his apprentice. "Why do you think ? " He smiled.

" Well..." Started the girl, staring into the distance as she thought. " You didn't manage to get your strategy across to the council..."

" Yes..." Urged on Stoick.

" So...You didn't want to walk out without having imposed anything ? To keep your credibility ?"

" Not only ! " Laughed the Chief. " But that's it ! Well done !" He patted her on the back of the shoulder, hard. She tried to resist his meaty hands, tried to be tough and not flinch. But the man's strength nevertheless caused her shoulder to go flying forward and forced her to regain her balance on the steps. " You'll make a good Chief one day, or wife-of-chief. But for you it'll be the same thing ! " He laughed again.

She frowned, refusing to adhere to the joke. He didn't care.

" But there's one more thing..." He added. " A formal declaration is important. Do you know why the situation escalated so much ? Why the entire archipelago is massing up for an attack ? " He gestured around at the entire island, they had a wonderful view from atop the hill's stone steps. Indeed, all around shone lights from various camps, one for each tribe. The an entire portion of Dànor was simply covered in tents. In truth, all the Archipelago's warriors were here, preparing for the battle to come.

" Because the Drekians destroyed one of Dànor's scouts ? And because they've become allies with _Dragons_ ?" She questioned sarcastically, it was obvious, everyone new why they were here. Even Snotlout. And he was always pretty clueless.

" Right ! And that was without any warning, no declaration of war, nothing ! It was savage, and dastardly ! Do you understand now Astrid ?..." His tone grew darker. " The honour, the customs..." He hit the side of his hand into his other hand's palm for every word. "... is the only thing that makes us different from those monsters." He pointed towards the dark horizon. " It's the only thing that keeps us apart...From _them._ "

* * *

Astrid breathed slowly. She was nervous. Why was she nervous ? She shouldn't be nervous ! She's a Viking !

She shifted her position on her hay mattress and stared at the ceiling of the tent. Her moment of glory would be tomorrow. She closed her eyes and pictured it. The landing on the beach, the charge. She would be at the head, she was chosen by Chief Stoick. She'd taken her place as heir and apprentice to the Chief ever since his son disappeared. When they win the battle, she'll be showered in respect and honour for being in the first assault wave with the Berkian warriors. It'll be glorious.

It'll be glorious.

She remembered what her parents told her. " We're too old to fight, dear. And your brothers too young. But I know, that you'll make this family shine. We've been poor, we've been dishonoured. But ever since since you were chosen over Snotlout as heir and apprentice to the Chief, I knew that those awful days were over. Make us proud Astrid." They had both kissed her on the forehead, and she had punched her brothers to the ground. Then she set off to the docks, with nothing but her axe and a bag over her shoulder. And she never even looked back.

Now she was here.

Now she wished she had looked back.

Because when she'll come back victorious.

Berk will never look the same again.

* * *

Gobber hobbled over to the smallest campfire of the Berkian camp, zigzagging between the tents. There, he found his friend Stoick, sitting on a log besides a fire that seemed more like a candle in comparison to the man. The blacksmith set himself down with a tired grunt in front of his friend and met his gaze.

" So, what's botherin' yer' ? "

" Oh...Nothing." Chuckled the beast of a man. He cleared his throat. " I was just thinking about how strange it all is."

" What ? A village cohabiting with dragons ? "

" Cohabi-Wha ? "

" 'Living' with dragons..."

" Yeah, exactly." The red-bearded man picked up a stick and poked the ember of the small fire with little to no motivation.

" I heard they're led by a teenager as thin as twig." Chuckled Gobber, holding up his little finger, the only one he had left.

" Pah ! I've got better ! I heard they had a ship with three sails and twice the size of a barn that sails faster than the wind. Hehe..."

" D'ya' think it's true ? " Asked Gobber, amused.

" Not sure..." Muttered the Chief, he looked up from the fire. " but even if it is, they're very strange people. Unnatural."

" Yeah..." Muttered Gobber, analysing his friend's face pensively. " ...I think you got that one right...D'ya' think we'll win ? "

" Of course we'll win." Sighed Stoick. " We don't know what we're up against, but we'll win."

" So what's botherin' yer' ?"

" It's the cost, of that victory...That bothers me."

* * *

Hiccup woke up suddenly, flustered and disorientated. " Wah ! " He sat up immediately, he looked around his room. Toothless was missing. Something was different. Thin beams of morning light shone through the shutters. Then he remembered. He heard a feminine giggle behind him. He turned his head to see Aerika sitting at the table with a hot mug of something. She was still in her night-ware, though she wore a thick wool blanket draped around her delicate shoulders.

" You're funny when you wake up." She mocked, beaming elegantly.

" Hmpf..." Managed Hiccup as he threw the thick covers off. He walked over to her, bare-chested, and hugged her from behind, planting a kiss on her cheek. " What's that ? " He inquired, pointing at her mug of steaming liquid.

" Maiden's tea." She smiled fondly, looking back over her shoulder, amused at the boy's puzzled face. She expected him to realise by now, but he seemed quite clueless. " You know..." She urged on amused at the notion that he might not know what it was. " Maiden's Tea ? "

Hiccup shook his head, he _didn't_ know what it was.

Aerika giggled again and brushed a strand of hair aside. " Maiden's tea : The tea for maiden's...For girls ! "

" And...Why is it only for girls ? " Mumbled Hiccup, raising a comical eyebrow. " It's tea." He stated, gesturing at the cup. " Men. can. also. drink. tea."

Aerika bit her lip. No one had apparently told him what 'maiden's tea' was. Ever. It took a great effort, but somehow she manage to pronounce the following without exploding in a fit of laughter at Hiccup's complete ignorance and bewildered expression. " I'm drinking maiden's tea..." She tried, snorting, but maintaining control. "...Because it helps prevent certain unwanted consequences, of what happened last night." She giggled again and waited for the penny to drop. Hiccup looked up and stared at the wall, thinking, he brought his affectionate hand from her shoulder to scratch his stubble. The sophisticated teen girl next to him could almost hear the cogs in his head turning.

Then his eyes widened with illuminating realisation. He stared at the mug.

" Oh... ! "


	39. Chapter 39

**[DISCLAIMERS]**

 **Ladies and Gents, this chapter will be violent. It will include the gruesome following : death, gore, amputation, decapitation, laceration, immolation, incineration, Etc... You get my point. Note that much like some of the previous chapters of this story, specifics as to the injuries sustained by some characters will be described in abundant detail. Let it not be known that such descriptions bear the sole purpose of horror. They also present the author's bias, and opinion, of the consequences of conflict that could and should have been avoided.**

 **Nevertheless, this chapter should still be a 'pretty neat' battle scene. I've given it my all. And let's face it, peace is boring, war is fun, as long as it remains within the confines of human fantasies.**

 **Also, sorry I took so long... [Insert usual excuse about work and such here...]**

 **Enjoy**

 **Rant Over.**

* * *

" LET'S GO ! GET UP ! " Yelled Astrid, kicking Snotlout in the ribs.

She had been waiting three entire days to do that.

The teen boy choked and gagged, contorting in minor pain, but was soon consoled by the realisation that that was the most attention he'd gotten from the seventeen year-old Astrid since they landed on this bloody island. He manned up and rose from his measly hay mattress as Astrid continued to make her way across the camp, assisting the group leaders in waking up the Berkian warriors. The whole island was getting up on it's feet. He grabbed his axe and his helmet, and stumbled towards his assault team's rendez-vous point.

* * *

Astrid could feel the adrenaline flowing through her already. Her nails dug deeper into the neck of the ship's prow. Her hair flew in the salty wind as the Viking long-ship smashed through the waves. It was quite the image. All around her, were multiple dozens of ships, each bearing their tribe's sigil on the sails. According to Gobber, this was the first time in hundreds of years that so many Vikings sailed together, united. Even the lookout from the crow's nest couldn't see a spot of water without a ship full to the brim with warriors sailing. A little over four hundred veteran warriors. Invincible.

Her nose was red and numb in the cold sea air. They were nearing the island. She could see it's faint shadow in the distant darkness. Their ship, Stoick's ship, was sailing at the tip of the armada. They, were the spearhead. The best warriors. The veterans. And she was on that ship. She was chosen. An extra perk, was that she didn't have to sail with the rest of the teens at the back, in the last assault wave. They'll only land on the beach once the fighting will be over. This, allowed her to avoid Snotlout and the rest of her insane age-group.

Stoick walked in circles behind her, stomping up and down the ship, mumbling to the helmsman, encouraging his trusted warriors, and patting friends on the back. He finally strode over to her and set a hand on her shoulderpad.

" You ready lass ? " He asked gravely, beard waving in the wind.

The teenager kept staring harshly forward, towards the island, towards the dark horizon. " Always." She answered, unflinchingly. She couldn't have been more stern and cold had she been a slab of stone.

" Good." Answered the chief simply. Then he turned around and spoke up. " Alright men ! You all now this, but it's worth repeatin' ! We sail to victory, and we sail to honour ! now douse the lights and keep quiet ! "

The men gave a simultaneous " Hoo-rah !" before falling silent. Several warrior put out the numerous torches illuminating the boat. Astrid witnessed the other ships around and behind them douse their own lights, and soon enough, they were sailing through silent darkness. Merely the wind, the crashing waves against the hull, and the whipping of the sail could be heard.

A few salty droplets sprinkled her cheeks. She wiped them off, and stood back, raising her axe and picking up her shield. They had gotten close.

Warriors stood vigilantly, scouting the dark sky for movement. Axe or bolas in one hand, shield in the other. Large muscles hard and tense. The world had fallen silent. Astrid squinted through the darkness, scanning the cloud cover above them. Nothing.

" Maintain course... Keep your eyes peeled..." Ordered Stoick with a hushed tone.

More silence.

One of the men muttered. " What on earth is that ? " He pointed the head of his axe above the island. All the warriors turned to observe the strange object. Astrid focused her view, it was light. It was a ball of light. High in the air, growing bigger and bigger.

" Is that a dragon ? " Questioned one of the crew, hunkering down further behind his shield.

" That's no dragon you fools... That's a fireball ! " Yelled Stoick, running to the back of the ship. He pushed the helmsman aside and yanked the wooden bar. The ship swiftly swung to one side. And in a flash of light and heat, the projectile flew past them. Astrid heard a crash, an explosion, cries of horror, and splashes of water. Like the rest of the warriors, she turned to witness the ship that was following them fall into two distinct pieces of flaming wreckage from which jumped men set alight into water they new not how to swim in.

But they had no time to take it in. A whizz could be heard behind them. A flash of flames appeared spontaneously from the darkness besides a nearby ship, setting the sails on fire. As squawk could be heard above them. Astrid raised her shield, a hail of darts fell. She knelt to the ground and felt three impacts on her wooden shield. A man fell with a heavy thud on the wooden deck besides her, now missing an eye. She saw another yank out one of the darts from his forearm, the poison would surely kill him in a few minutes. But he picked up a bolas nevertheless.

" KEEP BEHIND YOUR SHIELD ! ONLY FIRE WHEN YOU HAVE A CLEAR SHOT ! " Bawled Stoick from the helm, indeed, he had taken the driver's place, for that man died died seconds ago.

Astrid got a hold of herself and stood up, still angling her shield towards the sky. An explosion sounded further away. She made her way to the rack of bolas and set down her axe to pick one up. A dragon's pained cry ended with a splash to her left. She lowered her shield temporarily to get a view. But she was startled by a dragon flying incredibly close and pulling up at the last second, she rose her shield to protect her face. She felt a 'thunck!'. She let down her guard and observed the small javelin stuck in her shield left there by the dragon rider. Three nadder spikes, and a javelin, by now her shield was starting to crack in two. She let it drop to the ground and sprinted towards a fallen warrior. She picked up the dead man's wooden buckler, he won't be needing it anymore.

She fired her bolas, the dragon fell out of the sky with a screech, and the thor-damned human with it.

" WE'RE CLOSE TO THE BEACH ! " Yelled Stoick, shooting a bolas with one hand and steering the ship with the other. Another nearby ship went up in flames and splinters, whatever they were firing from that island was taking out an entire ship every half-a-minute. Splinters grazed her cheeks, those would leave scars.

A deafening shriek filled the air. One of speed, one of death.

" Night fury ! "

" GET DOWN ! "

Yet another ship exploded, this time with purple death.

Astrid was knocked off her feet as the ship beached itself at full speed. Her head hit the deck. Several other ships could be seen beaching by theirs. Her senses were hazy. She remained what felt like hours on her hands and knees, spitting blood and staring at a dead Viking painting the wood of the ship red. Streak by streak, forming little streams of red settling between the planks. She felt strong hands lift her body from beneath her shoulders.

" Come on Astrid ! " Shouted Stoick " If we stay here we'll die." He urged through gritted teeth. An explosion sounded, sand flew.

Astrid snapped out of it and nodded, grabbing her axe and a bloodied shield. They flung themselves over the side of the ship, and landed on the beach ankle-deep in seawater. She wiped the blood leaking down her cheek from the open wound with her sleeve. Stoick let out a thunderous war-cry and charged forward. Astrid followed, though only at half the pace. She was already exhausted. She ran amongst countless more Vikings, over craters and bodies, bent steel and charred flesh, broken scales and bloodied sand. A flash of light shone to her right, where a man was running. Sand was propelled into her face, she swallowed it, breathed it. The man who was running was in pieces.

She coughed, summoned her strength. Throat dry. Eyes stinging.

She heard a shriek. A nightmare and his rider landed right in-front of her. Many of his friends too had landed on the beach. He threw his last javelin as he swiftly dismounted. Reflexes kicked in. A new batch of adrenaline. She tucked and rolled out of the way. The man drew a short-sword and positioned himself beneath his dragon, under the bust. The dragon snarled, and Astrid imagined the man did too from beneath his flight-mask. Savages.

She hauled herself at the pair with a throaty cry. Her opponents moved in synch, the dragon swiping with his right claws, and the human lunging at her left flank. Astrid leaped to the right, escaping the lunge and swung her axe, defeating the dragon's claws that were poised in her way. Blood sprayed the sand. The dragon howled.

The teenage girl didn't stop, she slid to the ground and opened a gash in the nightmare's flank. The beast fell. Not quite dead.

The man gave an enraged cry, and swung at her without giving the girl time to get up. She rolled to one side, and kicked his knee. He lost balance and fell to the sand besides her, and without thinking, in one quick swing. She landed her axe in her opponent's ribs. She felt a crack, the man shrieked, convulsed, then went silent.

Astrid stared at the expressionless mask, panting.

First human kill.

Without giving her the time to catch her breath, a flash of purple shone in the corner of her eye, then a shock-wave knocked the air out of her lungs. She fell down again. Her bones shook. Sand showered down on her. Dizziness. Trembling hands. She shook her head, blinked, pulled herself out of the bloody sand. Another purple explosion. She staggered. The night-fury was close.

She set her foot against the carcass of the man, and yanked out her axe. It took all her willpower not to empty her stomach onto the sand right then and there. Instead she squinted the image away and wiped her mouth. She needed to get the night-fury.

Astrid jogged forward through the smoke, hopping over a dead dragon's neck. Several other men seemed to be going after the night-fury, who had landed and was defending it's position by shooting and mauling anyone getting close. She threw herself into a small crater, out of sight, and crawled up to get a view. A few stray nadder darts landed near.

The fury was fighting side by side with another human. Though, for some reason, he wasn't wielding a melee weapon. Instead he was using a crossbow, and seemed smaller, leaner, almost like a teenager. Her eyes widened. He was the leader ! There were rumours of the savages being led by a kid. Idiots. And it made sense for him to have the deadliest dragon and the fanciest armour.

Yes. This was definitely him.

She slid back down into the crater, her aching back resting the slope. She breathed heavily, grasped her axe, summoned her courage, before throwing herself back out onto the battlefield. She ran, feet slipping in the sand. She jumped over a body, went around a crater. The boy noticed her charging figure, he fired his crossbow and yelled something through the helmet. The bolt hit her shield, raised at the last minute. The night-fury turned around, and opened his maw. A flash of purple. Astrid leapt to one side. The explosion threw her forward. She regained her balance. She was right in-front of them.

She didn't stop, the kid had just finished reloading his crossbow. She thought fast and kicked him in the belly with her flying momentum. He fell, without a chance to shoot her. The dragon let out a shriek. She swung her axe in an attempt to slice it's throat. It dodged, pulling it's head back, it countered with a downwards swat of the paw. The teen girl was off-balance. She couldn't dodge. The last thing she saw was the black paw coming down at full speed, before knocking her face to the ground with inhuman power. Any more would have cracked her skull.

The boy got to his knees and angled the reloaded crossbow to the back of her head. His finger twitched on the trigger, but he stood and turned away. Whoever she was, she wasn't going to murder anyone when unconscious.

And he only had ten bolts left.

* * *

 **Flashback to the beginning of the battle.**

* * *

Aerika breathed in the night's air, hands shaking.

She didn't like it. Not one bit. Obviously this was a war, and not a soul on the island was enjoying this moment of breathless tension before the battle, and every Drekian felt they had more to fear and lose than any other. She squinted, squeezing her eyes shut as if to evict the worry.

If Hiccup weren't up there leading half the warriors, ready to dive down into the fight to come, maybe she would be able to breathe a little easier. But it was not the case. And in an hour or two she might no longer be able to be held by the Viking's caring arms.

Her heartbeat faltered. Her fingertips felt cold.

He had Toothless. They'll protect each other. They always have. Hiccup had told her of the time he was saved by his faithful friend from a rugged slaver's axe, but also when the dragon was struck by a blazing tree after a fight with a rabid nightmare. They had always worked together, as one. And they had a responsibility. Her boys had to lead the riders, at least the first half. Marcus would be flanking with the second.

Her eyes shot open.

" Aerika ? " Murmured a concerned voice. It was Grylin, a hot-headed but affectionate member of her crew, who had a ways of making himself anyone's substitute uncle or cousin. He was second biggest heart on the island.

" Yeah. I'm good." Answered the teenager sternly. She brushed a strand of hair aside with a usual flick. " Let's go."

The man nodded and followed her back to the war machine. The rest of the crew were gathered around a woman with a torch, muttering worries about the night's coming events.

" Alright listen up ! " Instructed Aerika, interrupting the small unofficial council. Heads turned in the faint light, and gazed towards her. " We all have friends and family that are going to be sinking ships and spearing Vikings in a few moments, so I suggest we make sure we make sure we help them, and make them come back alive. Now light the candles, and get to your stations, and let's see if can't sink at least thirty ships in one night shall we ? Come on ! Let's make sure our kin come home tonight !"

Mutters of motivated approval emanated from the frozen assembly with bursts of mist in the cold night air. In a bustle of activity, the small group lit a flame, and in the darkness took up positions around the mighty wood structure. Some climbed up to their positions, others gave their strength to pull levers and wind up coils, and a few more took the top of a stack of ammunition to load.

Aerika posted herself by a table provided with coal pencils and paper, as well as rock paper-weights. She pulled out from within her brown leather jacket a long cylindrical coppery object. She looked down at it through the darkness, and brushed a finger over the ornamentaly engraved 'A'. She thought of the time Hiccup had given her the spyglass. He was so embarrassed.

Her nose was numb with cold. She brought up the telescope and looked through it, scanning Dreki's beach. After a minute or so, a small light appeared.

" Alright ! " She yelled. " The signal is lit. Let's wait for the first ship to be set ablaze."

The crew acquiesced.

Soon enough, a red light appeared in the middle if the dark ocean. Aerika went to the table, and calculated the aim in less than a minute. Though it was nighttime, she was a Viking, and could tell the distance the ships would sail from each-other. She aimed a little to the left, for ships behind the first one set alight. She gave the measures to the crew. The machine was orientated by the strength of men's arms and that of a stubborn gronckle with a wounded wing tied to the machine, who still insisted on playing her part in the fight. The gronckle spat a few profanities at the distant invading Vikings, and with another collective grunt, the machine turned on it's rotative plates and was locked precisely into position. She power was gauged, and the machine was ready.

Aerika scanned the horizon with the spyglass. " Lock. Wait..." She counted in her head. " Loose ! " She machine exploded into action. Lever switched, pulleys swung, ropes sped, and the main arm flew in an attempt to brush the clouds. And the burning projectile flew cutting through the darkness like sleek lightning.

The crew burst into action again, puppetting the structure and coils to render it operational again. Another light lit itself in the distance, crashing down against the horizon.

" Hit " Announced Aerika, her voice devoid of any emotion.

The crew cheered. Warmed by the newly lit second projectile, ready to fire.

* * *

At these frosty heights, the wind sounded like a hurricane. While the absence of light failed to feed the visual senses, the auditory ones were saturated.

Hiccup and Toothless led the formation, speeding steadily through the sky above a sea of dark clouds obstructing the view of the battle below. Warm lights shone up like a candles under a blanket, almost inviting. The rumble of air hurtling besides the rider's ears roared with reassuring continuity. All fifteen pairs of the air-support wing followed the Night-Fury and his friend with textbook methodology, making sure to maintain a steady course to maintain the formation. While some counted the javelins set in the quivers of the saddle, others simply clung to the harness. No one was granted the freedom of major movements, all were bent over the saddle of their companions in an attempt to escape the wind's pull, for fear of being ripped off and flung into the void by aerodynamics.

Hiccup could hear his breathing resonate in his helmet. His fingertips had never been this cold, despite the gloves. They had practised high-altitude assaults with the squadron before, though not in winter, nor at nighttime. He shifted slightly over the saddle, peering down towards the cloud cover below. They were yet to be detected. His change in position caused them to start drifting, Toothless adjusted his wings slightly, causing their flight to wobble. Any false movement on their part, and they'd be sent tail-over-nose in a chaotic spiral at monumental speeds. Mot likely resulting in an unconscious Hiccup falling from the heights, and a Toothless with wings snapped by the pressure and force of the air.

The boy squinted through the slits of his helmet, according to the lights of the burning ships below, they must be over the greater part of the Viking fleet. Hiccup realigned himself with his dragon brother, giving a light pat over the neck. Adjusting the flight pedal with minimum increments sent them gradually twisting into a controlled fall. Toothless brought his wings to his flanks. The squadron followed, as practised.

The roar of the wind increased. The cloud cover approached.

They gained speed, and pulled up ever so slightly, shedding momentum as they hit the clouds.

Water accumulated into droplets onto any surface it could find, briefly remaining before losing grip and falling behind. The shortened wings of the dragons left watery sheets in their wake.

The lights grew brighter. And closer.

Suddenly. They were through.

The world was clear, and chaotic. All around were burning lights of destructive fire consuming ships and urging burnt soldiers into the water. Debris flew with every explosion. The world was red. The squadron pairs each branched into their own direction. Projectiles filled the air, whizzing as they edged closer and closer to their targets.

A rider was struck by a bolas, and was yanked off the saddle to fall to his death. His companion flared it's wings and shrieked, twisting mid-air in an attempt to catch his lost friend.

And arrow whizzed by, grating Hiccup's helmet, adding a streak to it's old wounds. They dodged a mast, and a falling Nightmare. Pointing towards the sky, they dropped back down for an assault. Toothless angled his ear flaps for the signature terrifying shriek, and blasted a ship in half before pulling up.

A bolas made it's way to the teenager's right. They escaped, and dropped, skimming the water. Another ship approached, they dodged over it. Hiccup got a shot at one of the warriors with his crossbow, and the man hit the deck of the craft, choking on blood.

* * *

Three consecutive shots of plasma towards the sky marked the retreat to the beach. Both Drekian air wings shifted mid-flight and flipped back towards the island. The first Viking longboats had beached themselves, and the warriors were already disembarking. It was too late for a proper defensive line.

Toothless and Hiccup landed solidly, knocking a large axeman into the sand. The boy fired a nimble bolt, and leaped off his brother, landing with a grunt. Sand flew in sheets with every shattering explosion, and the air was filled with venomous darts, arrows, and javelins.

Horizontal columns of flame engulfed experienced warriors, barely protected by rapidly disintegrating wooden shields.

A howl of pain sounded to the boy's right. Someone was being hacked to death by an axe.

Many Vikings made their way towards the pair, hoping to get a swing at the exotic night-fury. But they fought back with paw, bolt, and plasma. Even teeth. Hiccup aimed and fired with calm regularity, hastened, but without panic. Any foe not imminently dealt with by Toothless was disabled by Hiccup. Hence their fighting styles complemented each-other perfectly.

A bright-haired warrior flashed in the corner of the boy's eye, attacking them from the left. To his surprise, it was a girl armed with an axe, about his age, and barely visible through the smoke and darkness. He fired a bolt, which hit her shield.

" Toothless ! Get her ! "

The dragon twisted his neck while slashing at another warrior. His maw filled with heat and purple. He fired a shot. Miss.

Her war-cry took the teen by surprise, and he hardly had the time to reload too shoot her before he was violently kicked to the ground by a foot with the momentum of an entire body behind it. Toothless was quick to react though, he dodged her swing, and didn't take long to slap the girl with a meaty paw. Her axe fell besides her, face first in the sand.

* * *

Gobber and Stoick were good fighters. Despite one of them missing most of his limbs. Nevertheless, as brothers-in-arms, they often fought together, taking on the officers and leaders who's existence could be crucial to potential victory. Cut the head of the snake. It was a custom they shared.

Though much to their surprise, this particular head was a very large black man wielding a rather deadly spear. The bare-chested man twirled the dangerous weapon around him with astonishing nimbleness and dexterity, slashing and stabbing at four or so warriors around him, each trying to get closer. They hardly stood a chance.

The way the dark-skinned man waved his arms and pointed his spear to motion orders at nearby soldiers was evidence enough. Stoick and Gobber each gave an agreeing nod.

He had to go...


	40. Chapter 40

**Hullo again ! Here's another chapter. The poem is mine. Please don't use it anywhere. I hope you enjoy !**

 **Rant Over.**

* * *

The beach was littered with corpses.

Some wore chain-mail, others were nothing more than scaly hunks tainted red. They had started to cool in the night's air now, Astrid could see it. A few minutes ago they were still steaming from open wounds. A thin layer of mist hung a few feet above the sand, reluctant to drop any further. It twisted and contorted as monsters and figures moved silently from hunk to hunk, seeking a breath, a pulse, or any sign of life. The teen sniffled, her nose was red. She stood in a small group of huddled captives, maintained by a surrounding ring of worn warriors and beasts. Armours were torn, and shields clawed. Both Drekians and Viking let their shoulders sag. It was finally over.

The cold air hung silently with a captured morosity, breathless, icy, and sullied by the distinct stench of blood. Astrid shuffled on the spot, keeping her eyes from straying towards the reddened waves washing up against the shore or to the monstrous nightmare emptying the contents of it's stomach in the distance. She brought her hand up to the cut on her cheek. Then to the purple patch on the left side of her scalp. It stung, and made her dizzy, yet nothing was broken and she still had most of her mind about her. That much was going well.

Tired and wounded men and women stood with her, heads hanging. There weren't many, maybe twenty, thirty ? Another group lingered in the distance, and another behind that one. An additional prisoner was guided past their captive circle of guards into their little group at spear-point. The man was missing an ear. Blood draped half of his face, sunk into his red beard, and soaked into his torn cream shirt. But he merely scowled at the weary Drekian soldiers. A cry of pain echoed in the distance, tearing through the morbid silence.

Astrid was left wondering whether captivity on Dreki meant what she thought it might be, or was it more humane ? Did they even keep prisoners ? What happened to the women ?

An important-looking officer lead a prisoner to them. He paused before the group, scowling. Most of the Vikings turned to scowl back, others just stared absently down at the sand. Astrid peeked at the officer from between two meaty shoulders. He was young, and strangely Roman. He was missing an eye, it remained covered by a brown leather eye-patch. He rested his hands on two ivory sword pommels sheathed at his hips, and scanned the small crowd with a weary eye. His tense face was partially stained with dirt, and his hair hung in greasy tufts. She could tell he wasn't the kind of officer to hang back and let his troups do the work.

The man turned to the prisoner and gestured at the crowd. The large Viking stepped forward, and peered at the faces staring back at him.

" That one." He rasped, pointing with bound hands at a another Viking. " Her " He said a little later. His gaze travelled sideways, meeting begging eyes and disappointing glares. One by one, he identified members of the pack. Eventually, the prisoner's gaze reached Astrid, and he muttered. " Her"

A shiver ran up her spine.

When he was finished. The officer turned to the guards surrounding the flock, and muttered " grab them". The masked soldiers stepped forward. The two shoulders shielding Astrid stepped appart, and she was left vulnerable to the two pairs of arms who grabbed her and dragged her through the sand along with the others.

* * *

They were given brew.

Astrid didn't drink it, nor did the majority of the select captives. One doesn't often possess appetite after a crushing defeat. The blood from the gash on her cheek had stopped leaking, and had now frozen into a brown crust, dried and flaky.

They were sitting in a circle in the center of a barn. It reeked of dragon. Outside, the wind had started howling and battering the large barn door, like a monster trying to break in. The girl had lost track of time. She had slept a little, curling up on the hay floor. But she was woken, sore, and somehow even wearier. Her joints hurt, so did her bruise. She was quite sure it hadn't been a day since her capture, then again, how could one know ? There was no light seeping through from under the barn door, and this was the north. Daytime could be as dark as midnight, given the weather.

Astrid looked around at the other captives sitting or lying around her. She recognised a few, some had attended the war council prior to the battle. There were two or three chief's sons, and some more battalion leaders. The rest she had never met. All in all, she was the only Berkian.

A large Viking sat cross-legged beside her, and was staring down one of the four masked guards standing by the large barn door. The man grunted, shattering the heavy silence with a raspy voice " Don't you ever sleep ? "

The guard didn't flinch, but stared down at the large man through the mask's eye-holes. " I can't talk to you, sorry."

" Don't you ever eat ? " Persevered the Viking, his voice rising in anger. Astrid avidly watched the exchange.

" I can't talk to you, sorry." Repeated the Drekian.

The man's voice escalated further. " Don't ya' fucking breathe ?! "

" I can't talk to you, sorry. "

The Viking's eyes had something wild in them, something bottled up, something broken.

" Do ye ever take the Thor-damned mask off ?! " His large fists tightened, Astrid thought he'd get up and punch the guard.

" I can't talk to you..."

His fists exploded into shaky open palms, if anything, the man might burst a vessel. Here, his voice was loudest." Are ye even fackin' human ?! "

There was a pause. The barn door rattled with the wind. The guard's fingers wrapped around the spear he held with renewed strength. " Are you ? "

Before anyone could react, the large wooden door to the makeshift detention block opened, and the howling of the wind flooded in along with a few hundred snowflakes. And icy wind stung Astrid's prolific bruise above her eye, causing her to wince. A small figure draped in dark exotic armour and a fur cloak stepped in, closing the door behind him. He fastened the wooden lock and removed the fur hood covering his head, letting it swing over his shoulders and rest upon his back. It was a boy.

Or rather, a young warrior.

The left shoulder-plate of his armour was significantly larger than the other, and bore the red emblem of the Drekian state. If one could call such a barbaric mudpit a state. The lad's most striking feature however, -other than his dark armour- was his missing leg. Astrid caught herself looking twice below the lean man's hips to see what could only be described as an intricate mechanical stick-like device serving the purpose of a prosthetic. It clicked against the wooden floor-boards, and retracted thanks to a complex spring-system every-time the boy rest his weight upon it.

The new arrival turned to the guard who had recently spoken with the broken Viking, mumbling an inaudible inquiry. The guard nodded, and answered through his mask " Yeah, that's them." The cripple nodded, and faced the captives, finally revealing a full view of his face to Astrid.

Messy auburn hair, frost-bitten nose, tired eyes rimmed with purple, and a worried brow. Astrid could tell that despite his age, this cripple had responsibilities, people to take care of.

" Who here isn't an officer ? " Spoke the boy, his strained voice sounding like it could collapse at a moment's notice.

Four reluctant hands raised themselves, one of which was Astrid's. He scanned the owners of the hands, meeting every face. Astrid glared with as much hostility as she could summon. Though much to her disappointment, the cripple didn't seem to be affected. Little did she know he'd faced prisoner's glares one after the other for the past six hours. Hostile glares got a little old. Cleaning up after a battle was no easy job, especially when you refuse to dispose of any prisoners.

" Do all non-officers qualify as heirs and future leaders to their nation ? " His voice was clinical. And the response was but merely a few morose nods. The boy proceeded to pull out a pencil and notebook from his cloak, he counted the prisoners before scribbling a few things down and snapping it shut. He spoke up with an exhausted, yet official tone. " I speak for the people of Dreki, who have voted in favour of the following : You are considered higher ranking prisoners of war, nevertheless, you will receive the same rights as your fellow kinsmen : That is the only right to summon me, and inform me of any issue you may have, that it may be debated upon during the following assembly. Abuse of that right, and it will be revoked. Step out of line, and it will be revoked. Persevere, and you will all be temporarily deprived of nourishment. Harm a citizen, and you will be punished without a trial. Murder a citizen, and you will be executed without a trial. I'm also informing you that all dragon-kind present on the island are considered citizens of Dreki, and must be considered as such. Any questions ? "

The upset Viking spoke up " Do you people actually feel anything ? " His voice dripped with bitter, condescending sarcasm.

Hiccup smiled bitterly at the question. He or the Drekians had been insulted by practically every prisoner group he'd documented so far. He answered calmly, his words tainted with genuine tired sadness. " Trust me, we do. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to attend a good friend's funeral."

And with that, he flicked his hood back over his head and left the barn.

* * *

 _Of course, never would he have lied, had he not fought and won.  
_ _This sad reddened fellow, lying under the winter sun  
_ _Of course his heart is holed, and tarnished thoughts no longer hold  
_ _Any sway in an empty mind, like others, bought and sold_

 _A fox tricked it's way with sharp-toothed sullied wolves o' grey  
_ _Finding that holing hearts of old  
_ _Might earn more than all the gold  
_ _As souls traded away, are sooner red without mere say_

 _And such is the end of mighty mountains of mind,  
_ _The wrinkles of a heart, or the light for sailors to find  
_ _As red waters sail away a fellow all too kind  
_ _I see floating in the red, all the memories left behind._

\- The Red, poem mourning the death of celebrated war hero and strategist WarBear (see notes pages 32-34), extract of Entry 56 of Einarr's _Story of a Nation Vol 3: With Finger and Claw_.

* * *

 _"The people of Dreki demand the cessation of hostilities and opening of negotiations for the signing of an armistice [...] and transfer of prisoners and warrior remains [...] that may benefit both parties [...] hoping you could recognise amidst the list below some officers currently in Drekian custody [...] and accept this offer of peace."_

* * *

" _The Viking alliance recognise the Drekian proposition [...] suggesting negotiations be held in the halls of Dànor [...] hoping with respect that our missing kinsmen are treated fairly and humanely. [...]"_

* * *

" _The people of Dreki assume the Viking prisoners_ _of war are sufficient means to guarantee the safety of Drekian representatives throughout the negotiations [...] considering the location is not neutral territory as custom would have it [...] However, should any harm come to said representatives, or any act of aggression made against the state of Dreki and it's citizens as a whole [...] air strikes will be conducted against now undefended civilian and military key locations including but not limited to : Dànor, Freezing to Death, Multer, Bog-Burglar island, Visithug outposts, Ashemoik western trading posts [...] Berk island. [...] The people of Dreki trust the Viking alliance high council acknowledges and understands the motivations for taking these measures."_

* * *

 **Did you enjoy it ? I hope you did !**

 **Do you like the length and format ? Tell me !**

 **Comment if you dare ! Hehe...**


	41. Chapter 41

**Hello there reader ! My, it has been a while. I've been reading through my stories, for nostalgia's sake, and I couldn't help but cringe and groan at this one. Funnily enough it's one of my best...Not sure how I should feel about that. It's complete with spelling mistakes, predictable characters, repetitions, a redundant style, etc...**

 **I want to finish it. And give it the proper sendoff it deserves. But it's going to be a challenge :**

 **\- I've forgotten what I had planned as an ending.**

 **\- When I first introduced the characters of this story, I had no concept of a character arc.**

 **\- My style has changed, so the shift in narrative voice might be a bit brutal**

 **\- I've written myself into a corner**

 **But if anything, it's a challenge ! So if I can please even the few that still follow this story, it can be considered a success. Alright, here goes nothing :**

* * *

Out there, somewhere in the impossible, was a solution to this mess.

And Astrid wasn't any closer to finding it. She took another sip of bitter water from the wooden bowl, and brought her knees up to her chest. It helped her listen to the silence.

How was this going to end ? She rubbed her eyes, they stung in the cold. A prisoner coughed, another muttered in his sleep. She looked around, several days confined to the same wooden structure was taking a toll on everyone. Even the masked guards, despite the solemn shifts.

At least the wind stopped howling, the whine of the blizzard had been enough to drive them all mad. Then again, the whole fiasco they called a war was madness enough, she could see that now. The landing was a failure, Stoick and the others were wrong. They may have disagreed on the means, but the plan was always the same stupid idea : Take Dreki by storm and numbers.

Astrid didn't know what she was going to do when she got out the damned barn. Going back to Berk will be difficult. She closed her eyes and pictured herself stepping off the ship onto the dock, turning to see her family's expression. No, that couldn't happen. If the defeat wasn't enough, her new scar was sure to traumatise her younger brothers, bring her mother to tears, and have her father consider disowning her. After all, no one was going to marry a face like hers.

She pushed aside a greasy lock who found it wise to hang in front of her damaged face. The cut on her cheek had swollen. Without any proper treatment, the scar had partially healed into a scabby, bubbly, purple line reaching from her jaw to her ear. Every now and again, the girl cleaned a finger in water and prodded her scar before smelling it, checking for an infection. No pus, not yet.

This scar won't turn into a neat, trimmed, line that brings out the past glories of any given warrior. No, this scar will forever remind her of the day thousands of Viking offloaded onto a beach as a one-way ticket to Valhalla. A day when men were lead to defeat by idiots and their pride. Well, at least more than usual.

Fucking glorious.

One of the double doors opened. A boy dressed in black armour set foot into the barn, escorted by four masked spearmen. Him again. He'd been visiting them at regular intervals, no doubt making the rounds of all the prisoner groups. He never did much, often he opened his notebook, scribbled something in it, then disappeared again. Sometimes, he'd mumble something to the guards, they'd mumble back, and he'd retreat out into the cold again. Astrid stared at him, trying to figure it out.

In his past three visits, Astrid had stared intently at the boy. She had realised there was something about him, some feeling or other she couldn't quite figure out. Every time she saw him, she felt strange impressions of déjà-vu, complete with sudden childhood memories making a reappearance. Of course, by now Astrid had already accepted that the mountain of feelings crashing down on top of her wasn't something one could tame. It was obvious that she was swimming in a stormy sea best described as horror, mourning, anger, and depressed disillusion brewed into a single deadly cocktail. She deemed it rather mild in light of recent events. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but feel that she was missing something. And if it helped distract her from this mess, then she was fine with letting herself be baited.

She didn't know him, that much was sure. His armour, the leg, his manner of standing as he checked the lists, they were all so unfamiliar. What was it then ?

He pulled out the usual notebook and examined it. The teen frowned, his eyebrows tilting like a sinking ship as a mark of concentration. And the way his mouth twisted...No...No, that was familiar. The mouth and eyebrows, she knew that. It was an expression worn by someone, someone she knew. She had seen it before. Before her captivity. Before everything else. Who did it belong to ? She bit her lip, she was getting closer to finding it, she could feel it. But before being able to squeeze the answer out of the depths of her mind, the boy snapped the notebook shut and made an effort to stand taller.

He ran a shaky hand through his hair. She knew that too ! It definitely belonged to a figure of her past.

" How many of you consider to be needing medical attention ? " Spoke the boy, eyeing the group.

Her fingers tugged at the end of her sleeves. Now she was sure. It was him. It had to be.

" Raise your hands if you think you need to see a healer." He repeated for those who had just woken. A few hands rose through the dust, warily. Astrid nearly forgot to raise hers. Her mind was focused on staring incredulously, making sure she wasn't delusional.

" We can spare five beds. As officers you have priority." He gestured at the ground in front of him, before looking up with an air of pity. " Line up and show me your wounds."

Those who had raised their hands picked themselves up, groaning under the effort. Astrid winced as she stretched her legs, and wobbled to the end of the queue. The Vikings showed the boy their wounds, pulling up sleeves and bits of cloth to reveal more-or-less severe injuries to which the one-legged teenager either answered "uh-huh" or not "not you". Eventually, it was Astrid's turn. She stepped up.

She would have faced him at about the same height were she not slouching under the weight of her own shoulders. The auburn-haired officer examined her cheek, not grimacing in the slightest, running his gaze up and down the purple ridge. Astrid stared right at him, he couldn't see her.

" Is it infected ? " He asked, with a clinical tone. Or maybe just and exhausted one.

" No." She muttered, still examining his features with unashamed rigour, as if looking for his name in the dips and curves of his visage. Her toes dug into the soles of her snow boots.

The boy ignored her scrutiny, and scribbled something in his notebook. He looked up at her again, this time examining her face as a whole. Astrid made an effort not to squint, however nothing could be done about her slightly agape mouth.

" Raise your hair." Her eyes widened with realisation. She complied, shakily pulling up her hair to expose the area of purple flesh just below her hair-line. She took a breath and held it, summoning strength. Could he see all the questions in her head ?

Hiccup frowned at the bruised scalp, noted it in his booklet, and gestured to the group of approved prisoners behind him. " Go on, you get a spot." He sighed, already turning back towards the barn door.

She released her hair and dug in her heels : " Hiccup." She squeaked, letting go of her breath. Her right hand tightened, griping the bottom of her tunic.

The cripple froze. He stared at her, then at her hair, his mouth twisted like rope. He swallowed.

Astrid cleared her throat, straightening her shoulders. " Hiccup Horrendous Haddock."

* * *

Stoick's beard had greyed seemingly overnight. But how could he care ?

He sat at a table in his tent, gazing over the many lists sent to him by the Dreki. Identified casualties of war, unidentified casualties of war, wounded, casualties of emprisonnent, captured and detained... The list of lists went on. His round tent shook, and the fabric flapped like a sail.

He shifted uncomfortably on his stool, charcoal pencil in hand, going through the lists and noting a 'B' besides every Berkian name. A plate of food lay untouched on the table besides him, all appetite was already lost. Much like the war. Stoick kept reading, he couldn't sleep, not yet. He couldn't sleep until he was sure the name of 'Astrid Hofferson' was on the 'captured and detained' list. The wind shook the tent again.

Her parents had trusted him with her life and education. She was ready, eager. And he was foolish. So much so that he had committed the same mistake twice. Once again, Stoick the Vast had proved himself an incompetent guardian. Once again, he lost the young that relied on him. She should have never set foot on that beach in the first place, nor should have any Berkian. He read on, his throat and stomach tied together in a knot, his head filled with lead.

Twice, his tired eyes filtered through the many names on the 'captured and detained' list. Desperately hoping to find the girl.

When the moon was setting, his breath caught in his throat. There she was ! 'Astrid Hofferson'... She was alive !

But captured, and alone.

With a frown, a sigh, and a fist to punish the table, Stoick felt himself fall. He had failed, abandoning the young girl to the beasts next door. He stood and paced the dirt of his tent, the stool toppled to the ground as he rose. His hands shot to his face, as if putting out a fire. He gave a long groan. Think Stoick !

The other leaders are fools and vengeful, the negotiations are doomed to fail, there will be no armistice. That much was sure. He continued pacing while holding that thought.

The Dreki will retaliate, and kill the prisoners.

He groaned again. They will kill her. But not before they-...

He stopped.

Maybe they already are.

He needed to get her back.

He will get her back.

* * *

Hiccup felt a feeling not unlike falling. Or more specifically, having the flight-harness suddenly snap free of Toothless' saddle. A nightmare. However he still stood in the barn.

He stood there, world twisting around him while this disfigured girl stared into his soul. And he was doing nothing more but processing the horrendous words.

The panic subsided. And judging by the confused stares of the prisoners now bearing down upon him, it didn't show too much. His prosthetic clicked as he rested upon it, shifting weight on something more reliable than his last remaining leg. He refused to say anything for the following seconds. He needed to think. He stared across the barn into a worn beam, avoiding the girl's knowing gaze.

He addressed one of the guards without turning around. " Guillaume ? "

" Yes ? " Replied a gruff voice from behind one of the identical helmets.

" Could you call Toothless for me please ? " The guard exited the barn without answering, leaving a silence to scream from the walls after the clattering of one of the doors subsided. Hiccup took the chance scrutinise the scrutiniser, although she didn't shy away. If anything, the blonde defiantly tried to lock gazes with the cripple, eyeing him with a clear message of rebellion. He wouldn't let her, instead making a mental list of her facial features.

He couldn't recall her. Not yet. And by the time he was trying to reconstruct her face without the dirt, bruise, and scar three knocks sounded on the door. They met with Toothless outside, and made their way towards an isolated building, too far for any ears to overhear. They made their way up the hill towards the farms and irrigation networks, Hiccup on point with Toothless walking closely behind the girl. After all, she was a Viking.

The water-mill was unoccupied this morning, and thundered on with it's usual unyielding regularity. The wheel turned slowly, scooping up freezing cristalline water before tossing it back into the river. Hiccup unlocked the door and the three of them made their way inside. The interior of the structure was rather bland. A room with a dirt floor, and a wooden axis twisting into the mechanism that would usually rotate the millstone. Additionally, a stool and workbench was situated in the far corner of the room, usually used for machinery maintenance or afternoon naps. The stool was brought to the center of the room and Hiccup invited the girl to sit.

She sat awkwardly with slanted shoulders and a suspicious lour reserved for the night fury. Both teens maintained an active effort to keep their breathing tame.

She licked her chapped lips with a darting tongue. " You haven't recognised me yet ? " When the cripple didn't answer, she added. " I thought you would remember."

He stood close to Toothless, with crossed arms and pursed lips. The night fury merely sat and glared, processing the situation, watching it unfold.

The boy gave a hurt chuckle and glanced at his foot. " Should I allow myself to ? "


	42. Chapter 42

**I realise this one is shorter, however for reasons of pacing and work I think it's best if we cut the end of this story up into smaller pieces. I had to sit my baccalauréat exams recently, so there's an excuse...**

 **As always I hope you enjoy. And tell me what you think !**

* * *

" Should I allow myself to ? "

Toothless grunted and nudged Hiccup disapprovingly, pushing at his hip with his paw. Hiccup was many things, but if there was one thing he wasn't, it was condescending. Of course the boy sighed in defeat, Toothless was right. There was little to be gained from exerting some vain vengeance for past misdeeds. The teen let himself lean back against a wooden pillar, his arms still crossed, and his eyes still weary. He desperately needed sleep. But this was too surreal to be slept off.

" You're Astrid Hofferson." He nodded, lips pursed. " You haven't changed much." He gestured at the spiked skirt and worn woollen tunic. She looked like a ghost. Identical to the one he'd fled from so long ago, if a little more ragged. And cut up.

" I wear my hair the same." She conceded " You on the other hand..." She looked up and down his form, taking in the armour, his build, his face. " I like your leg." She sneered.

Hiccup snapped back, smiling. " Yeah, the metal's great for kicking in teeth."

Toothless gave an irritated stomp of the paw, re-iterating that he meant what he had said earlier.

" Yeah, well she isn't exactly being delightful either." Muttered the boy.

" Are you talking to that thing ?! "

Toothless rolled his eyes. Hiccup merely nodded, he wasn't going to explain, he feared he wouldn't be able to stop himself from making another remark if he so much as tried to utter a word. He could see the questions form in Astrid's mind. Her gaze shifted back and forth between Toothless and his own face, forming a new hypothesis with every pass, each one as unlikely as the last. Eventually, the silence had reached its breaking point and the girl simply asked :

" How are you here ?! Alive...?! And with...?! " She waved her hands at the night fury, the situation was beyond the realm of words.

" Luck, mostly." Was the ambiguous answer.

" But the uh..." She pointed at Toothless again.

" Somewhere between luck and destiny."

Toothless let out a impatient gurgle. Things weren't going to fix themselves, and this was an opportunity. Hiccup knew it, of course he did, although Toothless would obviously have to push it. But the dragon knew it wasn't easy for the two of them, what with meeting the walking, breathing, living ghost of their past. Hiccup was visibly distraught, and trying to hide it. However vestiges of worse times kept resurfacing in his mind like bloated corpses from the ocean. But unfortunately there was a lot more at stake.

" Yeah I'm on it." Muttered the cripple.

Toothless gave a snort. " Like hell you are."

This time it was a whisper. " Calm down, you aren't helping."

Another grunt along with a reproachful glare meant : " Nor are you ! "

" Fine, let's skip the diplomacy." His voice was shaky. " Astrid, how do you feel about this war ? Because I need to find a way to stop it and I was hoping to find a little help. " He waited for an answer, staring at the lost girl with pleading eyes. " Chances are you're the heir to the Chiefdom of Berk. If I send you back, will you talk to Stoick ? "

* * *

They didn't call him Stoick the Vast for nothing. When his mind was set on something, Odin help whoever was in his way.

He stole a rowboat in the dead of night. No one could know he was gone, not even Gobber. He rowed hard, his arms served him well. In less than an hour, Stoick had crossed over half the distance between Dreki and Dànor, despite the waves trying to wrestle his small vessel onto its back. The fog was marvellous fortune, his only obstacle would have been the encroaching sunbeams slipping over the horizon in an attempt to reveal his approach. Now it was no longer an issue, this morning was a true northern morning : Grey, dark, and foggier than a smoker's pipe. Stoick took time to thank the gods.

His feet hit the sand of Dreki's only beach. He dragged the rowboat one-handed onto the sand, preventing it from drifting back whence it came. All around him were craters and the carcasses of half-burnt vessels who hadn't escaped the battle. They lay dead on the on the sand like beached whales gutted by the flammes, exposing their insides through black wounds.

Stoick crawled in the mist, axe in hand, half-expecting to find himself face-to-face with a corpse. However to his surprise, the barbarians had cleared the beach of any dead. Their leader may be young, but apparently smart enough to prevent disease.

He reached the tree-line, moving like silk through the morning air, still veiled in the fog. He crouched behind a tree-trunk, taking the time to clear his beard of sand while formulating a plan. There was a path not far, the one they had assaulted during the dreadful battle. No, _Tried_ to assault during the battle. But no, that wouldn't do. He'd best go around, through the forest. It'd take longer, but there was no point infiltrating the village without even knowing where the prisoners were kept.

He travelled from tree to tree, far enough not be heard, but close enough to distinguish the shadows of buildings and figures through the cloudy air. No wind. He thanked the gods again. After several minutes, he had reached almost halfway around the large clearing that had been carved out to make room for the town. A figure stood not ten metres away. Stoick saw it too late, and froze, he was definitely in earshot, and had been for a while now. However the figure, armed with a spear, did not move. In fact, it started whistling.

The Viking raised his axe, poised for a shot. He couldn't move to cover, not without making any more noise. He was lucky once, he won't be again. However Stoick the Vast desisted : Dragons can smell blood from miles away. It's the strongest smell for them, spilling some here would be like pulling out a steak while surrounded by starving wolves. The man lowered himself as carefully as he could, making sure not to set off the dried leaves he was standing on.

To his horror, a second figure approached the first, this time facing him. Stoick stood as still as a statue, trying hard not to look like anything other than a boulder or an oversized article of foliage. The two figures engaged in friendly, indistinguable conversation, punctuated with the tone of anecdotes and meagre war-time chuckling. Then both of them set off towards a barn-shaped structure in the distance. It was then Stoick understood the figures were nothing more but a morning guard shift. However with this fog, they couldn't be guarding the coastlines. They were most likely makeshift jailers.

When they were far enough away, Stoick unfroze. Dreki had obviously reconverted the storage barns usually reserved for crops to contain prisoners. Hardly high-security, but it seemed the only logical option. Stoick would have ordered the same.

In the meantime, Stoick needed a place to hide, the fog will clear eventually. He needed to rest, observe, and wait for the best moment to find and rescue Astrid. The man left the safety of the trees, jogging further away from the village up towards the hill. He followed an irrigation stream, hiding the sound of his footsteps in the rustling of the flowing water. Before long, he approached a structure of curious design. A large wooden wheel dipped into the stream, and was pulled along by the water, causing a regular rumble of wooden machinery to emanate from within the house. It was mill, drawing it's strength from the water. Ingenious.

It would make for a temporary lair, if only for half an hour. It was isolated from the village, and provided an adequate vantage point from atop the hill once the fog cleared. Stoick the Vast crept closer to watermill, setting a hand on the door but freezing as soon as he heard voices through the wood.

" So what do you say Astrid ? "

It was faint, but distinguishable.

It was her name.

She was here.

Stoick ignored the surrealism of the situation. He needed to act. The man took a step back, gripped his axe, and set his foot against the door with the full might of his hulk. The hinges didn't stand a change.

* * *

Toothless was the first to react, blasting the entrance with three consecutive shots of purple plasma, significantly enlarging the doorway. Outside, bricks flew down the hill. However the Intruder had already leapt across the room towards Astrid and deployed a protective arm roughly the girth a pillar. Hiccup panicked and froze, his legs suddenly turning to steel ( at least the one that wasn't already made of steel ). Toothless made a point of shielding the young Drekian, flaring his wings with territorial hostility and hissing. His radioactive green eyes seemed to vibrate, and his dark scales shimmered in waves of dancing razors. A constant glow of purple slowly grew at the back of his throat like an unsaid accusation.

" BACK ! " Howled the Viking, pushing Astrid behind him and swinging his axe through the air.

Toothless let out another roar, nearly shaking the building to pieces.

Astrid gripped Stoick's arm, holding onto it like a shipwrecked sailor to a wooden beam. " DON'T ! "

" PUT THE AXE DOWN ! LET GO OF HER ! " Ordered Hiccup, who by now had drawn his crossbow from it's sheath.

But Stoick wasn't listening. " AH SWEAR BY ODIN THAT IF YOU TOUCHED A SINGLE HAIR ON HER HEAD... ! "

" LET GO OF THE AXE ! "

" Do as he says ! "

Toothless fired a plasma bolt into the beam besides them as a threat, singing away a significant chunk. Black splinters flew across the room.

Spit flew from Hiccup's mouth as he yelled : " DROP IT ! "

" Stoick put it down ! "

" I did'n come all the way to be captured. We're getting out of here ! "

" Stoick we can't fight them !"

" Watch me ! " He waved his axe around. "Come on ya' pansies what have you got ?! "

But much to Stoick's surprise, the pair only had silence. Albeit, Toothless was still hissing like a fuse on a barrel of powder, but hiccup's arms fell limp. The crossbow dipped and fired a bolt into the dirt floor. The boy's eyes had grown, and his face had been bleached white by some newfound pallor.

Astrid tightened her grip around Stoick's huge arm. Her black nails dug in, not that he noticed. " It's Hiccup ! " She breathed through her teeth. The words weighed heavy in the air.

Stoick caught his breath. Everything was eerily calmer now. " What are ya' talking about ? " Blood pulsed in his ears.

" It's Hiccup. It's your son. "

He breathed heavily, then not at all. Realisation, much like forgiveness and death, is a lot of screaming and cacophony, promptly followed by sudden silence. And for the first time in decades, Stoick's arms lost their strength. Astrid's grip started to hurt.


	43. Chapter 43

**The end approaches.**

 **Not all stories end with a climax.**

* * *

Endings are fickle things, Stoick of all people should know. But it was hard not to be surprised by this one, at least for him. It seems the gods do like their dramatic irony.

Astrid pried the axe from Stoick's hand, pulling at it gently until it suddenly gave way like a branch off a dead tree. She stuck it into the pillar besides her with a brusque yet elegant gesture that had been perfected long ago. Her reasoning was simple : Axes don't deserve to be dropped.

Hiccup's crossbow, however, fell with a clatter. And the boy's arms held each other as he rested his back against Toothless, closing his eyes and bowing his head as if in prayer. Stoick's bemused gaze bounced off the boy, travelling back through the years to the sight of a scrawnier Hiccup. A Hiccup who could barely walk without stumbling. A Hiccup without friends. A Hiccup with less armour. A Hiccup who stuttered. A Hiccup with both legs.

Astrid merely turned her back to it all. Instead facing the wall of irregular stones that now seemed ready to turn to dust. The entire structure creaked, Toothless should not have blasted that pillar. The fat wood, while devoid of flames, now glistened with red in what was once the path of searing plasma. Smoke billowed from the carving, and the pillar creaked again, insisting.

" Ah' think it's best if we moved." Muttered Stoick calmly, pointing with a thumb towards the enlarged doorway. Hiccup's bowed head nodded. And slowly, all four made their way out into the morning air.

The fog had cleared. And from the hilltop they could witness distant figures below rushing towards them from the village. The small group paid no attention, instead they turned and stood to admire the silent mill. Its wheel had locked, and a thin trail of smoke slithered upwards from between two planks of the roof. Toothless pressed a paw on the stone wall and pushed, causing the entire building to tip to one side and collapse with a thunderous cacophony. Best it fall now than later. Hiccup's eyes were still closed, but he couldn't refrain from wincing at the thunderous sound of wood and stone keeling over. Once the chaos had subsided, there was nothing left but a pile of debris and the murmur of the wind carrying the dust off the hill and towards the horizon, away from the group. For a moment it seemed no one was brave enough to break the spell of silence.

But Stoick the Vast was no craven.

" Maybe we should talk." Suggested the Chief, contemplating the rubble.

" Yes." Said Hiccup. " I think we should."

* * *

Stoick and Hiccup talked for a long time. Several hours were spent slowly pacing the island's beach. At first simple sentences were uncomfortably exchanged, failing to roll off the tongue. Eventually more complicated ones arose, and before long, both father and son were exchanging reproaches, regrets, excuses, and pardons. By early afternoon, it was settled : Berk would leave the war, Dànor's chief would be informed of his daughter's existence, Stoick was Hiccup's father, but Hiccup was not Stoick's son. A simple list of four agreements that could only seem anti-climactic.

They parted ways, and Stoick rowed back to Dànor. He had stepped off of his stolen rowboat onto Dànor's large wooden pier, where a collection of intrigued vikings had already started to accumulate. Gobber stood at the point of the group, posing with an inquisitorial eyebrow and a sardonic grin.

" I trust yer' little fishing expedition went well ? "

" Shut up Gobber I'm not in the mood. " He stomped past the group and up towards the village. " Gather our men, Berk has retired from this war."

" I-...Ok then. I assume you'll explain eventually ? " Scoffed his friend swinging his hook around comically.

Stoick merely grunted. He needed to see Chief Kruk urgently to tell him of his daughter, and potentially down a few pints before collapsing from exhaustion. Odin knows he needed it.

* * *

It was early afternoon. Hiccup unfastened the straps of his prosthetic, placing it delicately on the floorboards besides him so as not wake Aerika. He briefly contemplated undressing, but deemed the effort to far outweigh the gains. It was cold anyways. He slipped under the covers and wrapped an arm over his companion, holding her in a way he hadn't had time to do in too long. His left arm, however, was uncomfortably locked between his body and hers, and quickly started to suffer the pricks of minor blood loss. The arm would usually cradle her head, resting comfortably under her soft neck. But she was asleep. It'd just have to do.

She stirred sleepily, sighed, and lifted her head off the hay pillow. " Go on then. "

He slipped his arm under her neck. " I thought you were asleep."

" I was."

" Sorry."

She chuckled and held the arms that draped around her, coiling herself ever more into a shell. " You better be "

They slept. That is, as well as two can sleep entwined. The realities of that romantic imagery is closer to resembling a slumber more than true sleep. They rested nevertheless.

She awoke first, early in the morning. Early enough for the sunrise not to be due for several hours more. She got up, freeing herself from Hiccup's embrace, waking him. He'd forgive her, after all, he too had woken her. She revived the hearth, and decided to check in on Einarr. As per habit he was awake in the early hours, scribbling his writing on crowded sheets of paper under the frail candlelight. He looked up at her leaning at the doorway and yawned, she smiled, he smiled. He nodded at his bed, insinuating he was finally going to sleep and that no one should dare wake him lest they suffer his divine wrath. She rolled her eyes and he giggled. At these hours, words were superficial.

She thought about cooking something. But decided tea would do better. Hiccup did most of the cooking, and she was out of practise. Maybe if she made them both a cup it would draw him out of bed ? She boiled water over the hearth, and infused the herbs. In minutes the boy was up, stumbling into the forge with groggy eyes and hair not entirely unlike a battle-zone. He hadn't bothered fastening his leg on, instead he hopped across the forge and sat on the round hearth's stone edge.

" Morning." He groaned, rubbing his eyes.

" Morning." She handed him a mug and sat on the hearth's rim besides him.

Several seconds of silence were enjoyed as they sipped their beverage and waved their hands lethargically over the embers, soaking in the heat.

" You talked to your father for a long time. " Said Aerika eventually. " You must have said a great deal. "

" Less than you'd think. " Admitted the boy, peering into the tea.

" Are we still at war ? "

" No, at least not with Berk." The embers hissed. " They'll want to meet you." He warned.

" My family ? "

" Hmm..."

She smiled. " But I'm still dead."

" Officially, but I told my father to inform Dànor otherwise."

" You're hoping Dànor will also withdraw ? "

" Huh-huh." He took another sip. " The other clans won't be able to attack from their island anymore."

She nodded. " You're right to think that. " She cradled the mug for a moment, before contemplating Hiccup's gaze. " Do they know about us ? "

" They know we exist..."

" Don't avoid the question ! " She giggled.

He gazed grinned. " Sorry. No, they don't."

After letting her thoughts wander for a few moments, Aerika murmured : " I don't think it's a problem. We already live on an island full of dragons, and we've just fought a war against them."

" We're not married." Noted the cripple.

" Should we be ? "

He shrugged. " We might be pushing the boundaries of unacceptable for the people here, not just our families. With the war over, people won't be distracted and might start wondering..."

" Maybe we should get married..." She muttered pensively. " In the spring ! As for the boundaries of unacceptable, it may already be too late for that ! "

" That is our business and ours only..." The man brought the mug to his smug lips as if it were ale.

" Indeed." Said Aerika, a smile playing across her lips. " C'mere." She brought her face closer, until both their noses were nearly touching, and stroked Hiccup's cheek. They kissed and closed their eyes, eventually resting their foreheads together and leaning into each-other. They enjoyed the moment, basking in the heat, running gentle hands through hair and across cheeks until their backs were stiff.

* * *

Astrid waited on the plaza, flanked by a large Drekian guard who stood in much the same way a statue would. The mask-wearing warrior was as inexpressive as usual, but Astrid knew for a fact that once the soldiers of Dreki removed their masks, they would curse, smile, cry, and shout like any other human being. Or monsters, depending on how you look at it.

Then again, there were so many ways of looking at 'it' it was getting a bit confusing.

She shifted her weight nervously from one foot to another, feeling exposed from all sides to the teeming crowd of Drekians crossing the heart of the town. Most didn't pay attention to her, and those that did seemed too tired or occupied to bother glaring at her. Citizens crossed the courtyard with cages filled with chickens, or baskets of provisions. Dragons pulled carts of heavy timber, or stone bricks, briefly noting the Viking maiden with unnervingly intelligent eyes.

She was relieved to see Hiccup approach with his night-fury, casually strolling down the streets he so clearly remembered designing on paper. He seemed to be taking his time, enjoying his walk as a luxury he could not afford until only recently. He made his way until both were standing in front of her, he nodded at the guard, he/she nodded back and left.

" I see our healer did a good job with your cheek." He waved at her face with gloved hands. It seemed the new Hiccup never took off his armour.

Astrid's hand shot up to feel the line of stitches along the no longer-swollen wound. " Yeah she stopped it from leaving a nasty scar, she says it should be cleaner. More... Presentable."

" Good. I'm sure you'll look as fierce as ever." He beamed with honesty. " You called for me ? "

" Um...Yeah." She peered down at her worn boots, frowning at them disapprovingly. " You see, I know we're all being shipped back to Dànor tomorrow. And from there all of us can go home."

" But... ? "

" Well..."

" You don't want to go home with the others ?"

She shook her head and looked elsewhere. " I don't want to go home at all."

Hiccup looked around, taking in the plaza's activity, thinking before speaking. " I can get that."

" I'd like to stay here."

He scrutinised her, thinking. Toothless let out a warble, and examined the girl. The cripple sighed : " He says it'll be tough to get you to stay here. I say it's practically impossible."

" But I thought you were the leader here ? I mean I was hoping-..."

" I'm not _the_ leader here. I'm _a_ leader here. I have a lot of influence, but you realise you're seeking asylum at the doors of an island you've just fought to invade ?! "

Astrid nodded at her feet. It did seem like a stupid idea now. " Okay. It's just that the only thing I've learnt from all of this is that there isn't any 'good' side. I just figured at least here people here don't have such tiny bigoted minds."

For the first time in his life, Hiccup pitied Astrid Hofferson.

" Listen," He cleared his throat awkwardly. " I can delay your release until tomorrow night. And I can buy you some speaking time at the next assembly, you'll be able to plead your case. But I don't think you'll be able to convince the people of Dreki, or the other leaders for that matter."

She nodded, trying not to look like she was out of options." If it's doomed to fail, then I think it's best I don't."

He looked at her. She looked at her shoes again.

" But um...There is another option..."

She looked up. " What ? "

" There's an island." He paused. " It's 13 Kilometres South-East from here...Not that big, but with forests and wildlife."

" Inhabited ? "

The boy shook his head. " We can give you some furs, an axe, some food to get you started, and some seeds..."

" I'm not much of a farmer."

" A bow then."

She nodded, to no one in particular. " You'd do that for me ?"

" I've grown to learn everyone deserves their own island."

" Thank you." Said Astrid without smiling.

" Tonight then. No one can see us, I don't want my followers here asking questions."

" Who will know ? "

" Not many. You don't have to worry about Berkians finding you."

" But they're sure to ask questions, Stoick will, that's certain."

" You can write something for him and your family if you want, I'll pass it on." He stared into thin air pensively. " In fact I think I might just do that myself."

" So who will know ?" She insisted.

" Toothless and I, obviously... And maybe Aerika. I can't imagine finding an excuse for why I'm flying off with another girl in the middle of the night."

She raised an eyebrow. " Your wife ? "

He chuckled anxiously. " Not yet, next season maybe. "

" Am I invited ? " She joked. Hiccup frowned, Astrid never jokes.

Instead he merely muttered." We'll see." He straightened himself. " I'll see you tonight then. I trust you can walk yourself back to the guards over there ? " He pointed at two guardsmen conversing across the plaza. Astrid nodded in agreement and the pair saluted her before walking off back towards the way the came.

" Thank you ! " she called. Hiccup saluted her by raising a hand without turning around.


End file.
